The Power of the Press

The lists of Internal and external constituents are each quite detailed - there are more different parties who are impacted by a project like this than one would think at first. They include a laundry list of community stakeholders and industry types. Here goes:

Internal Audience (Community Involvement)

Government
City (City Staff, both Management and Line); City Council (Mayor and City Council Members)
County (County Staff, both Management and Line); County Commissioners Court (Judge and Precinct Commissioners)

Education
Higher Education (Universities and Community Colleges, including Administration Management, Administration Employees, Faculty & Faculty Organizations, Students & Student Organizations, Families of Students)
K-12 Education - School Districts & Schools (Administration Management, Administration Employees, Faculty & Faculty Organizations, Students & Student Organizations, Parents, Relatives, & Guardians, Volunteer Groups)
Vocational - Job Training, etc. (Administration Management, Administration Employees, Faculty, Students & Student Organizations)

Business / Commercial
Economic Development (Chambers of Commerce, including Management, Board, Member Businesses, and Convention & Visitor's Bureau; Economic Development Council, including Board & Staff; and Downtown Association, including Member Representatives)
Businesses - Owners and Managers (Major Employers, Industrial, Retail, SMB, Locally-owned, National chains, and Franchises)

Community (i.e., Residential)
Groups (Council of Neighborhood Associations, Neighborhood Associations, Clubs, Service Organizations)
Individuals (Neighborhoods & Subdivisions, Apartment Complexes, Dormitories)

Health Care
Hospitals & Clinics (including EMS, Doctors Offices)

External Audience (Economic Development)

Neighboring Communities

Economic Development Targets
Business considering relocation
Indivduals & Families considering relocation

Telecommunications & Applications Providers
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Wireless ISPs (WISPs) (Incumbents, including Telecom ISP, Cable ISP; and Competitors, including ISPs and WISPs)
Hardware & Software Application Providers (Public Sector Applications, including Public Safety, Emergency Responder, Field Mobile Data Communications, Utility Automated Meter Reading (AMR), Utility Field Sensors & SCADA, Voice over IP (VOIP), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Video Surveillance, and Video Streaming; and Consumer Applications, including Voice over IP (VOIP) and more - much more - but I'm out of steam). - See www.wikimetronet.com for a more comprehensive list of wireless applications.

As you can see, there are an amazing number of groups and people who are interested in what you are doing to bring metropolitan broadband to your community. Metropolitan Broadband is exciting stuff. Really.

So if one has an exciting and positive story to tell about one's community and about one's project (and EVERYONE doing a project like this does), why on earth would one want to soft pedal it? The rule of thumb is: be proud and be loud - your project will be the better for it. As long as you stick to facts and don't embellish, you're on solid ground. The more excitement you generate, and the better you educate all concerned, the more your project will be energized and the more resources will come out of the woodwork to make it happen. Don't underestimate the importance of wide-spread support and don't shirk in your efforts to recruit it.

The press is your friend, so take care of them and they will communicate better, which will serve you well.