Fierce Telecom writes about how BEAD funding might help support better phone service in rural areas through VoIP. The idea is that states might ask/require funding recipients to offer phone service as well as broadband in applications for funds. There are two ways that broadband would help improve phone service. Through fiber, providers could offer VoIP (voice over IP) telephone service, which would feel to the end user like a landline. Also, increased local fiber could mean fiber to local towers, which would improve cell coverage (5G).

Increased cell phone coverage would be valuable. If you drive through rural areas, you’ll notice dropped or degraded calls in certain places. (That being said, you’ll notice the same walking around my neighborhood in St Paul!) VoIP for “landline” is compelling to me if it is affordable and will work when the power goes out. Maybe something like that is possible.

There is one sticky wicket when it comes to broadband and phone service in Minnesota. It is a barrier to municipalities looking to provide service. They can do it but only after voter approval – and it requires a super majority…

Minnesota requires municipalities to obtain a super-majority of 65% of the voters before providing local exchange services or facilities used to support communications services. (Minn. Stat. Ann. § 237.19). Also, the council of a municipality has the power improve, construct, extend, and maintain facilities for Internet access and other communications purposes, if the council finds that: (i) the facilities are necessary to make available Internet access or other communications services that are not and will not be available through other providers or the private market in the reasonably foreseeable future; and (ii) the service to be provided by the facilities will not compete with service provided by private entities. (Minn. Stat. Ann. § 429.021)