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Introduction

The content contained within the Research section of the site is for archival purposes, and may or may not be current.

The Electronic Village Technologies (EVT) group at Virginia Tech has played a key role in the development and support of the Blacksburg Electronic Village. Some of the services that we have provided to the community as part of the project include:

  • Electronic mail
  • Technical support for users
  • World Wide Web home pages for the BEV
  • Mailing lists for community discussion groups
  • Dial up modem access to the Internet
  • Direct connections in offices and apartments in town
  • Online polls and referendums for local civic leaders
  • Classes and training about the Internet for local citizens and business people
  • BEV storefront office for registration and support

This Community Network Planning Guide tries to answer some of the most frequently asked questions that we receive from other communities trying to set up and develop community networks. Virginia Tech is now able to offer a wide variety of education, training, and services on a cost–recovery basis to communities interested in creating a community network.

Why work with Tech?

Virginia Tech has a worldwide reputation as the leader in community networks. No other community in the world has as a higher percentage of citizens online, and no other organization has the years of expertise that Virginia Tech has developed in the design and support of community networks.

Virginia Tech can offer you the best systems support, training, and education programs on community development. We have state of the art computers and servers for community servicess, and classes are taught in sophisticated computer labs where every class member has their own workstation for hands–on training. The classes are taught by faculty and staff from Virginia Tech, including staff from the Blacksburg Electronic Village. The faculty and staff who work at the Blacksburg Electronic Village also offer comprehensive turnkey electronic village packages designed specifically for community networks, and that is the only kind of customer we support--we do not provide Web space or any services to for-profit businesses. We also work on a strict nonprofit, cost recovery basis. Our experience has shown that training and education are critical success factors, so we emphasize a thorough training program for the people involved in supporting the network in your community.