If you're interested, we'll be broadcasting today's Rural Broadband Forum down in Fortuna starting at about 9 a.m. It's be live at northcoastjournal.com. As always, thanks to The Venue Project.

UPDATE: Yes, the seemingly inevitable technical difficulties. We should be with you shortly.

UPDATE 2: The sound in the room is pretty much useless, so we're giving this one a bye. If you still want to check it, cruise on over to thevenueproject.com.

Click through below for a schedule.

Rural Connections: From Grassroots to Treetops:
Getting Broadband to All of the Redwood Coast
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Agenda

9:00 a.m. Welcome: From Our Governor’s Broadband Task Force Rural Members:
Peter Pennekamp, Executive Director of Humboldt Area Foundation;
Rollin Richmond, President, Humboldt State University

9:15 a.m. Introductions -- everyone

9:30 a.m. Status of Broadband Deployment in the Region
Local and Tribal Government Updates

10:00 a.m. Redwood Coast Connect Report Out
"What have we learned to further our efforts to provide Ubiquitous Broadband Connection throughout our region?"
Steve Karp, Associate Director Small Business Development Center at HSU.

10:45 a.m. Break

11:00 a.m. Our Keynote--"Rural is on California’s Radar"
Susan Walters, Senior Vice President of the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF)

11:30 a.m. "Increasing Broadband Demand and Adoption in our Region"
Fiber, telco, cable, and wireless broadband providers will give short presentations

12:30 p.m. Lunch (provided)

1:15 p.m. The Permit Panel—the best way to work together through the hurdles.
Bob Merrill, North Coast District Manager, Coastal Commission
Charlie Fielder, Caltrans District 1 Director
Jay Harris, Resource Program Manager, State Parks, North Coast Redwoods District
Gordon Leppig, Staff Environmental Scientist, Department of Fish & Game

2:15 p.m. Break

2:30 p.m. National Policy Update
Sean McLaughlin, Executive Director, Access Humboldt
Susan Estrada, President, Aldea Communications, Inc

3:00 p.m. Next Steps