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Stew Lilker’s

Columbia County Observer

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North Florida Broadband Authority:  Mainstreet Broadband, NFBA's touted business partner, goes bust


Wireless broadband represented by a plug. NFBA in the soup again.

Lake City, FL – The secretive and seriously behind schedule North Florida Broadband Authority met yesterday morning in Lake City to award a 12th hour hastily rearranged bid for its Network Operator, an illegal bid that only days before included its touted partner and RUS Loan recipient, Mainstreet Broadband. Since May 9th, when the NFBA rolled out Mainstreet as its last mile provider of choice, Mainstreet was being heralded as the prime "commercial partner" that in the NFBA's words, was going to "expand high speed internet service to rural north central Florida." Yesterday, as the NFBA meeting drew to a close, Mainstreet Broadband announced on its website that it "ceased operations." Not one word was mentioned to the NFBA's Board of Directors by the NFBA management.

The story began three years ago


Mike Mies proclaims the benefits of the NFBA/Mainstreet May marriage.

The Mainstreet/NFBA story really began when the newly formed NFBA received the Obama Stimulus Grant at the end of 2009. The NFBA territory was concurrent with much of the territory covered by the RUS loan to bring internet service to underserved rural communities that Mainstreet received from the Department of Agriculture.

One insider, with the condition of anonymity, told the Observer that Mainstreet was in a panic when the NFBA received the Federal Grant. "Mainstreet was trying to sign up assets [tower space] as quickly as possible. They were afraid that the NFBA was going to come in and get the assets before Mainstreet could."

With wireless broadband, if one doesn't have a tower or similar high structure on which to install their transmitters, they can't reach potential customers.

"This is what turns this around."

On May 9, 2012, the NFBA announced to much fanfare that the NFBA and Mainstreet became commercial partners. The NFBA's inexperienced general manager, Richelle Sucara, announced to the NFBA Board of Directors, "This was a comprehensive effort. This is what turns this around for the organization."

At the May 9th NFBA meeting, the NFEDP/FSU's Jeff Hendry announced about the Mainstreet/NFBA partnership, "They've been in the fox hole with us from the beginning. I'm glad to see that they're here and strong." Mr. Hendry explained that the NFBA's job was to build other relationships with last mile providers like Mainstreet. In three years and until yesterday, they had signed up none other than Mainstreet. Yesterday, two last mile providers came on board, one of which was from out of state.


NFBA Project Manager, Donny Lort, proclaims the benefits of the Mainstreet/NFBA marriage to the NFBA Board during the May announcement.

The NFBA's unvetted Project Manager, Donny Lort, told the NFBA Board about the new relationship with Mainstreet, "Smile – This is an exciting time. This is huge."

Mainstreet's founder and CEO Mike Miese told the NFBA, "We're smiling... Our ultimate objective is getting customers on the network."

Mr. Mies then told the NFBA, "We're happy to be the internet service provider to the NFBA. We are powering their office."

Mr. Mies continued, "Like you, we are funded by the Federal Government. We have a $34 million loan. You have a grant. It's great to see these federal programs working together... We are already providing service in ten of the NFBA counties... We need these in kind assets... We are a for profit company... Any help that you can provide would be greatly appreciated."


During yesterday's, Aug. 1 NFBA meeting, GM Sucara mentioned not a word about Mainstreet or its demise.

Recently, in a network redesign kept secret by both the NFBA and folks at the NTIA, the federal agency in charge of the NFBA grant, no one would say why the NFBA needed to run fiber to Jacksonville and then to Orlando, one of the two main communication hubs of the NFBA network. This, along with other proposed fiber installations added another $4.5 million dollars to the NFBA project. It is not clear from which pocket of the American People that funding was coming.

A careful examination of the audio of the May 9th meeting revealed that the now defunct Mainstreet had a plan, which was being helped along by their partner, the NFBA and the Federal Government.

Mr. Mies told the NFBA, "All the traffic that we are handing off to other providers, we would prefer to be taking that back to our POP in Jacksonville." A POP is a main distribution hub. This is where Mainstreet hooked up to the internet. This hookup would have allowed Mainstreet to bypass purchasing internet service from the NFBA and would have enabled them to sell their own internet service at cost savings/profit potential to Mainstreet. This scheme would have also reduced the income to the NFBA.

With the demise of Mainstreet, it is not clear if the Feds will allow the NFBA purchase of $4.5 million of fiber to continue.

The NFBA train wreck continues

Once again, the North Florida Broadband Authority finds itself in a big mess. It is now at least a year behind schedule and has only a handful of customers on the network. The recent bid for network operator was bogus, suspect and protested, and now its main business partner, Mainstreet Broadband has gone out of business.

It is clear that the top brass of the NFBA and a few select others had to know this was in the wind, as there was not one smiling face among any of the NFBA insiders at yesterday's tension filled meeting, making it clear why NFBA insider, Lake City Manager, Wendell Johnson, tried to pick a fight with your reporter after the meeting concluded and the Board Clerk went hysterical.

Yesterday afternoon, the NFBA, along with Mainstreet's other customers in Florida and Georgia, were most likely looking for another internet service provider. They were getting no help from Mainstreet's website.

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Links to the NFBA series:

North Florida Broadband Authority:
Baker County becomes the 7th north central Florida county to pull out of Obama stimulus funded NFBA

(Part XXXVII) (February 19, 2013)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Feds put failing stimulus funded NFBA on life support. 3yrs and $28+ mil later, 60 customers and no revenue model.
(Part XXXVI) (February 15, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Former Board Clerk sues NFBA for wrongful termination and violation of her constitutional rights
(Part XXXV) (January 30, 2013)

North Florida Broadband Authority: $30 mil later N. Central Florida Regional Planning Council - clueless
(Part XXXIV) (January 25, 2013)

North Florida Broadband Authority: After General Counsel's response, FL's Public Record Laws remain the latest casualty
(Part XXXIII (b)) (January 8, 2013)

• North Florida Broadband Authority: FL's Public Record Laws the latest casualty
(Part XXXIII) (January 6, 2013)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Foot dragging, lack of info cause Suwannee Cnty to call "strike 3" on the NFBA – They're out
(Part XXXII) (January 3, 2013)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Suwannee County tells the NFBA – One more strike and you're out
(PartXXXI) (December 20, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Wracked by gross mismanagement from the feds on down, the NFBA has become the poster child for non disclosure
(Part XXX) (December 18, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: More bad news. Last Mile Wifi CEO, "I knew they were going to extort me."
(Part XXIX) December 10, 2012

North Florida Broadband Authority: NFBA failed to make the grade in Gilchrist County
(Part XXVIII) (November 29, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Columbia County Pulls Out of Obama Funded Stimulus Project
(Part XXVII) (November 2, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: The NFBA road show traveled to an unprepared Columbia County with misinformation, half truths, and just plain lies
(Part XXVI) (Posted October 9, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Woebegotten Stimulus funded authority gets another black eye. No one bids to service the $30 mil 14 county network.
(Part XXV) (Posted October 1, 2012)

• North Florida Broadband Auth: Another County pulls out. Dixie says throwing away money a major issue.
(Part XXIV) (Posted September 13, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: NFBA road shows moves to Lake City for a double dose of free money
(Part XXIII) (Posted September 5, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Secrecy and a lawyer's spread sheet. It's business as usual at the NFBA.
(Part XXII) (Posted August 22, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority:  Mainstreet Broadband, NFBA's touted business partner, goes bust
(Part XXI) (Posted August 2, 2012)

• North Florida Broadband Authority: Two cities say "no mas." Refuse free tower space to NFBA
(Part XX)  (Posted July 26, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Taylor County Says Goodbye, "I don't think our county should be involved."
(Part XIX) (Posted April 18, 2012)

• North Florida Broadband Authority: Perry Pulls Out, City Manager tells Council, "It's just out of whack"
(Part XVIII) (Posted April 11, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Bradford County Says "No Mas" – Pulls Out
(Part XVII) (Posted April 4, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Operating in the shadows with the help of the Feds, the NFBA saga continues
(Part XVI) (posted March 29, 2012)

Lake City, City Manager Wendell Johnson looks to make White Elephant deal with troubled North Florida Broadband Authority
(Part XV) (Posted Feb 28, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Propped up by the Feds, financed by the American People - Who can you trust?
(Part XIV) (Posted Feb 25, 2012)

North Florida Broadband Authority:
"Sunlight is the best disinfectant." Not for them

(Part XIII) (Posted Jan 13, 2011)

North Florida Broadband Authority:
A Lawyer's Dream. A Look At The Numbers
(Part XIIb) (Posted Dec 29, 2011)

North Florida Broadband Authority:
A Lawyer's Dream. Money Is No Object
(Part XIIa) (Posted Dec 28, 2011)

North Florida Broadband Authority:
Feds come to town – Working under the cover of darkness was their MO

(Part XI) (Posted November 23, 2011)

North Florida Broadband Authority:
Feds continue investigation - Interim GM rehires resigned firms employees

(part X) (Posted Nov 11, 2011)

North Florida Broadband Authority: "The greatest threat to this project is the Government"
(Part IX) (Posted November 2, 2011)

• Federal grant for broadband access in rural Louisiana rescinded: Could the North Florida Broadband Authority Be Far Behind?
(Posted October 28, 2011)

• North Florida Broadband Authority: Redefining "Good Business Sense?"
(Part VIII) (Posted October 25, 2011)

• North Florida Broadband Authority: Feds resume funding – Put small vendors first
(Part VII) (Posted October 20, 2011)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Small vendors in big trouble | NFEDP/FSU's Hendry may resign (Part VIb)  (Posted Oct 14, 2011)

North Florida Broadband Authority: Blood in the street (Part VIa)  (posted Oct 13, 2011)

North Florida Broadband Authority: "I don't want to die on principle and not have broadband." (Part V)  (posted Oct. 6, 2011)

NFBA future in limbo - Fed keeps funds locked down - Suspend project  (Part IV) (posted Sept 28, 2011)

The North Florida Broadband Authority. Its world was about to change (part III)  (posted Sept 16, 2011)

"I think we have a failure to communicate." The N Florida Rural Broadband saga continues (Part II)  (posted Sept 14, 2011)

Feds close spigot on $30 million broadband stimulus grant. 15 north central Florida counties waiting for money to flow again
(Part I)  (posted Sept 12, 2011)