Category Archives: Community Networks

Publicly-owned ConnectSuperior now open for business in Superior WI

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WDIO reports...

The City of Superior now has the first publicly-owned, open-access broadband network in the state of Wisconsin. ConnectSuperior went live this week and is currently available to residents and businesses in the Central Superior neighborhood.

Superior’s open-access network is like a highway. The city owns and maintains the infrastructure, in this case fiber optic cables and lines. Then different companies, internet service providers, can use that to transport internet access to customers.

How can residents plug into new internet options? ConnectSuperior offers two different internet service providers: Advance Stream and Superion. The city expected to have 80 customers make the switch within the first year. But they have already surpassed that with close to 100 people joining just this first week.

The FCC is looking for comments about Cottage Grove’s rights of way contract with one provider

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I’m offering two chapters of an ongoing story of Cottage Grove working for better broadband. The FCC is looking for comments on Cottage Grove, Minnesota’s contact that allows exclusive access to rights of way for broadband deployment for a period of time…

Comments Due: September 12, 2025

Reply Comments Due: October 14, 2025

The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a petition for preemption and declaratory ruling filed pursuant to section 253(d) of the Communications Act (Act).1 The petition was filed on August 6, 2025 by BIF IV Intrepid OpCo LLC (Intrepid)2 and asks the Commission to preempt a contract that the city of Cottage Grove, Minnesota (the City) has entered with another provider to deploy fiber optic infrastructure in the City.3 The petition states that the City entered the contract after issuing a Request for Proposal4 stating that “the City will not issue future right of way permits for broadband projects for at least five years” after reaching an agreement, thereby providing “the chosen broadband partner(s) exclusive rights to access the assigned rights of way for broadband services to serve the City of Cottage Grove until at least 2030.”5 Intrepid states that, due to the award of an exclusive contract to another provider, permit applications that it submitted to expand its fiber optic telecommunications network to the City are now being denied.6

Interested parties may file comments or oppositions to the Intrepid Petition on or before September 12, 2025 and reply comments on or before October 14, 2025. All filings addressing the Intrepid Petition must reference WC Docket No. 25-248.

  • Electronic Filers: Comments and oppositions may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS): www.fcc.gov/ecfs.
  • Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing.

o Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial courier, or by the U.S. Postal Service. All filings must be addressed to the Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.

o Hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission’s Secretary are accepted between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. by the FCC’s mailing contractor at 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes must be disposed of before entering the building.

o Commercial courier deliveries (any deliveries not by the U.S. Postal Service) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701.

o Filings sent by U.S. Postal Service First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, and Priority Mail Express must be sent to 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554.

People with Disabilities. To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530.

Ex Parte Rules. The proceeding this Notice initiates shall be treated as “permit-but-disclose” proceeding in accordance with the Commission’s ex parte rules.8 Persons making ex parte presentations must file a copy of any written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral presentation within two business days after the presentation (unless a different deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies). Persons making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentation must (1) list all persons attending or otherwise participating in the meeting at which the ex parte presentation was made and (2) summarize all data presented and arguments made during the presentation. If the presentation consisted in whole or in part of the presentation of data or arguments already reflected in the presenter’s written comments, memoranda or other filings in the proceeding, the presenter may provide citations to such data or arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or other filings (specifying the relevant page and/or paragraph numbers where such data or arguments can be found) in lieu of summarizing them in the memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission staff during ex parte meetings are deemed to be written ex parte presentations and must be filed consistent with rule 1.1206(b). In proceedings governed by rule 1.49(f) or for which the Commission has made available a method of electronic filing, written ex parte presentations and memoranda summarizing oral ex parte presentations, and all attachments thereto, must be filed through the electronic comment filing system available for that proceeding, and must be filed in their native format (e.g., .doc, .xml, .ppt, searchable .pdf). Participants in these proceedings should familiarize themselves with the Commission’s ex parte rules.

For further information, please contact Elizabeth Drogula, Competition Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, at (202) 418-1591 or via e-mail at Elizabeth.Drogula@fcc.gov

For background, Cottage Grove is working with Gateway Fiber to deploy in their community. (I shared that announcement in July.) They posted an RFP. In March 2025, they answered clarifying questions concerning the RFP, including questions on the rights of way…

Question: With respect to 47 U.S. Code § 253 – Removal of barriers to entry – No State or local statute or regulation, or other State or local legal requirement, may prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting the ability of any entity to provide any interstate or intrastate telecommunications service – and Minnesota State Statute 237.163 – USE AND REGULATION OF PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY, Subdivisions 1-4 – this RFP seems to be in conflict with both. Can you clarify the guidance you are following that deems this RFP in compliance with both regulations?

Answer: 47 U.S. Code § 253, or Chapter 5 of Title 47: Telecommunications, is not applicable here as it applies to wire or radio communications. Broadband is governed under Chapter 12 of Title 47 (47 U.S. Code § 1301-1308). The federal regulations governing broadband to do not prohibit the City from regulating their public rights-of-way.

Municipalities have several legal rights when it comes to managing or restricting access to public rights-of-way (ROW) for broadband companies. These rights are typically established under federal, state, and local laws.

The City of Cottage Grove is not attempting to restrict or prohibit access to public rights-of-way for broadband companies. The City has simply implemented a fair and efficient manner in which to regulate and manage the installation and maintenance of broadband services through their Request for Proposals. The City’s primary goal is to provide sufficient broadband to each area of the City in an efficient and orderly manner – taking into account the limited space within the public rights-of-ways and the access needs of the community during construction.

Under Minn. Stat. 237.163, a local government is specifically authorized to manage and regulate the use of public rights of way. The legislature found it necessary to give local governments this authority because of the potential for installation by broadband companies of multiple and competing facilities within the public rights-of-way. Therefore, a local government may exercise the option to regulate the use of public rights-of-way so long as the regulation is carried out in a fair, efficient, competitively neutral, and substantially uniform manner. The City of Cottage Grove has chosen to exercise this option and manage the public rights-of-way pursuant to Cottage Grove City Code § 7-6-2.

The City’s authority to regulate the use of public rights-of-way is further iterated in Minn. Stat. § 116J.399, Subd. 8 which states “the placement of broadband infrastructure to provide broadband service . . . is subject to local government permitting the right-of-way management authority under section 237.163, and must be coordinated with the relevant local government unit . . .”

In summary, Minnesota municipalities have well-defined rights and responsibilities authorizing them to manage public rights-of-way concerning broadband companies. This authority is balanced with obligations to ensure non-discriminatory practices and to facilitate the deployment of broadband services for the public benefit.

EVENT SEP 10: What’s Next for Broadband in MN with Gigi Sohn and Christopher Mitchell

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From Minnesota Public Broadband Alliance MPBA…

WHAT’S NEXT FOR BROADBAND IN MINNESOTA

Featured Speakers:
Gigi Sohn, American Association of Public Broadband
Christopher Mitchell, Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Bree Maki, Director, MN Office of Broadband Development

There’s

✅ No cost to attend
✅ Registration required – space is limited

The details:

NEXT CHAPTER WINERY – NEW PRAGUE, MN

🗓 SEPTEMBER 10, 2025
🕘 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
☕ COFFEE & PASTRIES PROVIDED

💬 SOCIAL + Q&A TO FOLLOW

Register online.

Sign up now in Breitung MN for FTHH for free installation (St Louis County)

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The Timberjay reports…

At their July 15 meeting, the Breitung Town Board emphasized the importance for residents to sign up for broadband internet service where it will soon be available, including the areas around Hoodoo Point, Puncher Point, and Mallard Drive.
Chairman Matt Tuchel said this is everyone’s “opportunity to get this installed free, under the grant. If they do not do that and wait, they will have to pay that installation fee which could be as much as $5,000-$10,000, depending on terrain and how they have to run the line. It can be a significant savings when it’s covered under the grant but they need to sign up.”
Tuchel asked that residents get in touch with their neighbors to make sure they’ve signed up. Almost 200 residences have signed up so far.
Every household in the eligible neighborhoods should have been contacted to sign up by now. If you haven’t been contacted or are unsure if your home is in the service area, call the town hall. Construction to lay the fiber lines will begin on July 28.
In the project’s next phase, the board hopes to get broadband to Echo Point and McKinley Park Acres. These areas were previously planned to get broadband but installing fiber through these areas, which has extensive bedrock, proved too expensive. The board, along with other municipalities, CTC and Lake Country Power are exploring the possibility of having fiber internet brought in on power lines.
To complete the project, a study is required which will cost $175,000. The money will come from Breitung Township, Beatty Township, Greenwood Township, Vermilion Lake Township, the new Goodwill Township, and the city of Tower. Breitung’s share would be 10.65-percent, serving 108 addresses.
Breitung estimated their cost of the study would be $18,637.

Martin County Broadband Partnership provides update to Martin County Board of Commissioners

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The Fairmont Sentinel reports…

Celia Simpson, a community and business development specialist with CEDA, gave an update on the Martin County Broadband Partnership program during the Martin County Board of Commissioner meeting on Tuesday.

Simpson shared that she has been working with the broadband advisory committee.

“Their job is to facilitate access to a 100 download, 20 upload megabytes of internet service to all households and businesses within Martin County,” Simpson said.

She spoke some of the different challenges in different areas of the county. Simpson also spoke about the Martin County Broadband profile, done by the Blandin Foundation, which does a county broadband profile map every year looking at what investments have been made on broadband in different counties.

“Out of 87 counties in Minnesota we’re ranked 70th which is not where you want to be. You want to be on the higher end, closer to one,” Simpson said.

She added that according to those findings, only 21 percent of the county has access to 1,000 plus megabytes.

Simpson pointed out that Martin County has allocated $1.5 million in funding toward the Martin County Broadband Partnership Program. She also spoke about some of the various grants the county has gotten in recent years, including from Federated REA.

“Their goal is to provide to the rest of the unserved or underserved in Martin County. They got $8 million from the Border-to-Border 10 program and are looking at the Ceylon area, up to Welcome and over to Truman. They broke ground on that last Tuesday,” Simpson said.

She said 457 households, businesses and farms are included and of the $1.4 million award from the county, $780,000 of that went toward this project.

Commissioner Joe Loughmiller said he was supportive of these kinds of projects, especially when it comes to promoting Martin County and rural development in Martin County.

“If someone is going to be a remote worker, and I’m a remote worker, they need this 100/20 level of service. If we want them to build out here and build our tax base, these are the kind of investments that make sense,” Loughmiller said.

Gateway Fiber will deploy fiber to Cottage Grove (Washington County)

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Business Wire reports...

High-speed internet providerGateway Fiber is excited to announce its network expansion into Cottage Grove, Minnesota, providing residents and businesses a great new way to connect online. This milestone follows the City of Cottage Grove’s Request for Proposal (RFP) process, in which Gateway Fiber was selected to design, construct, and deploy a state-of-the-art fiber optic infrastructure throughout the community.

“Residents deserve not just an additional option for internet, but one that provides a level of service that is above and beyond what is currently offered. As people across the country are working remote or hybrid, paying bills online, streaming TV and movies, to say nothing of the role that quality internet service plays in commercial businesses, this is a vital service that residents rely on daily. It supports economic development, housing development, and our current residents in massively meaningful ways.”

Gateway Fiber’s selection was based on its comprehensive response to the city’s RFP, demonstrating a proven track record of successful fiber deployments, commitment to transparent pricing, and dedication to exceptional customer service, with customer service scores that far exceeded traditional internet providers.

[Added July 3: here’s the RFP from Cottage Grove.]

Connect Humanity: Investment capital for community-focused broadband projects

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According to their LinkedIn Profile…

Connect Humanity is a nonprofit impact fund with a mission to advance digital opportunity. We provide tailored investments, grants, and technical guidance to help underserved communities build the internet infrastructure needed to thrive.

According to their website…

From rural towns and Tribal Nations to state-specific efforts like our fund for New Mexico, we’re actively deploying flexible financing to help communities and internet service providers deliver affordable, reliable broadband where it’s needed most.

Our active lending pool

We’re currently investing through several designated pools of funding, each designed to meet the needs of different geographies and partners:

  • Nationwide
    $250K–$1M per project for underserved communities across the U.S.
  • Tribal Communities
    Up to $5M per project to support community-led broadband infrastructure in Tribal Nations.
  • New Mexico
    Up to $3M per project for community broadband efforts in New Mexico.
  • Municipal & large-scale projects
    $15–$20M per project for municipally led or eligible private ISP projects with five-year terms.

If you’re exploring funding for a broadband project, get in touch. We’d love to learn more.

I know nothing more than is here. I learned about them through the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. But it seems worth exploring.

Renville County residents are invited to take a broadband survey

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West Central Tribune reports…

Renville County residents are invited to take a short broadband internet survey through March 31 to gauge satisfaction with current internet service providers.

According to the release, those without a home or business broadband connection are also encouraged to take the survey in order to help the county consider different broadband solutions.

Residents can take the survey by visiting www.renvillecountymn.com and clicking on the survey link in the homepage pop-up or going directly to surveymonkey.com/r/2687525.

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe shares broadband expansion plans

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Leech Lake News reports…

The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe is launching a transformative broadband infrastructure project to bring fast, reliable internet access to our communities. Backed by an $18.7 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), this project will include a combination of fiber-optic lines and fixed wireless towers to serve households and businesses across the reservation.

The network will include fiber routes and strategically placed wireless towers capable of delivering 5G fixed wireless internet. These towers awill broadcast internet within a defined coverage area.

Throughout May 2025, LLBO Tribal and Economic Development staff will attend Local Indian Council (LIC) meetings to share plans, answer questions, and gather input on tower site locations. Community feedback is critical to ensuring this project reflects local priorities and needs.

Project Timeline:

  • May 2025: Community outreach at LIC meetings
  • Fall/Winter 2025: Environmental review & final tower placement
  • Spring/Summer 2026: Construction begins
  • Fall 2026: Project completion anticipated

We encourage community members to participate in the meetings and help shape the future of internet access across Leech Lake.

Update on Connect Willmar Initiative – open access network in Kandiyohi County

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I wrote about the new Connection Willmar Initiative portal earlier this week, but the West Central Tribune has an update…

The Connect Willmar Initiative marketplace had 65 sign-ups prior to the evening meeting of the Willmar City Council on Monday. The site had launched three days prior to that on May 2.

That information was part of an update from City Operations Director Kyle Box on the Connect Willmar Initiative, a city effort to construct a $24.5 million open-access, high-speed fiber network throughout the city of Willmar.

The marketplace website, which can be reached from the city website at willmarmn.gov, allows residents to sign up for services and for project updates, while allowing the city to gauge residents’ and businesses’ interest.

The interest shown by the city’s residents and businesses will help assure the council and the city that the network will pay for itself as designed.

Connect Willmar Initiative now accepting fiber pre-orders

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The West Central Tribune reports…

The city of Willmar on Friday announced the launching of its online marketplace for the Connect Willmar Initiative.

The Connect Willmar Initiative is a community-driven effort to bring open-access, high-speed fiber internet to the city of Willmar, according to the news release.

“The launch of the marketplace marks an exciting milestone in our mission to deliver fast, reliable and affordable broadband to every corner of Willmar,” Willmar City Councilor Justin Ask said in the news release. “This is more than just internet — it’s about creating access, opportunity and a connected future for our entire community.”

The city has engaged the resources of Silverlight Fiber Network, which specializes in open-access networks, to provide a digital platform for information and customer sign-ups.

The Connect Willmar Initiative Marketplace, available now at silverlight-fiber.com/willmar, allows residents and businesses to view, select and compare the services and pricing of all participating internet service providers, according to the news release.

New MN bill introduced: HF3295 authorizing Open meeting broadcasting through social media

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The MN House of Representatives reports…

Gordon introduced:

H. F. 3295, A bill for an act relating to Open Meeting Law; authorizing meeting broadcasting through social media; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 13D.065.

The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Judiciary Finance and Civil Law.

Here is the full bill as introduced:

A bill for an act
relating to Open Meeting Law; authorizing meeting broadcasting through social
media; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 13D.065.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 13D.065, is amended to read:

13D.065 USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA.

Subdivision 1.

Use by members.

The use of social media by members of a public body
does not violate this chapter so long as the social media use is limited to exchanges with all
members of the general public. For purposes of this section, email is not considered a type
of social media.

Subd. 2.

Broadcast use.

(a) A public body may use social media to live broadcast a
meeting subject to this chapter. A public body is not required to offer a social media comment
feature during a broadcast authorized under this subdivision. If a social media comment
feature is offered as a part of the broadcast, comments posted by members of the public
during the broadcast are not considered government records under section 15.17 or 138.17
unless the public body’s required notice under section 13D.04 and this subdivision provides
that the comments are a part of the meeting record. A public body that accepts comments
posted in a social media comment feature during a broadcast as public testimony must
establish rules of order for the comments and their discussion by the public body.

(b) A public body that uses social media to live broadcast a meeting pursuant to this
subdivision must state in the required notice under section 13D.04 that social media
broadcasting will occur and provide information about how the broadcast may be accessed.
If a public comment period is offered during the meeting, the notice must state the process
for the submission of public comments before or during the meeting from individuals viewing
the meeting remotely in order to be included in the meeting record. If a social media comment
feature will be offered as a part of the broadcast, the treatment of such comments for the
purposes of public testimony and the meeting record must be stated in the public notice.

(c) Nothing in this subdivision authorizes a public body to conduct a meeting through
social media for the purposes of section 13D.015, 13D.02, or 13D.021 if the social media
technology does not meet the requirements for interactive technology under this chapter.

EFFECTIVE DATE.

This section is effective the day following final enactment.

Sherburne County supports BEAD applications with four broadband providers

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The Patriot reports...

The Sherburne County Board has again confirmed its commitment to bring broadband to all areas of the county.

Tuesday, the board approved individual letters of support and a commitment of $500 each to assist Frontier Communications, Midcontinent Communications (Midco), Arvig and Windstream in their pursuits of Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program (BEAD) grant dollars for eligible projects located within Sherburne County.

BEAD Program provides $42.45 billion to expand high-speed Internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs.

Frontier, Midco, Arvig, and Windstream all plan to submit individual BEAD grant applications for grant-eligible locations in Sherburne County. The application process awards points for both local support and for financial commitment.

Frontier’s project would connect 184 eligible locations in Clear Lake, Haven, and Palmer Townships.

Midco’s projects would connect eligible locations that include the cities of Baldwin and Elk River plus Big Lake, Blue Hill, Clear Lake, Haven, Livonia, Palmer, and Santiago townships. If each of the project areas were awarded funds, over 800 locations would be connected.

Arvig’s project would connect 51 eligible locations in Big Lake Township.

Windstream’s project would connect 294 eligible locations in Big Lake and Zimmerman.

EVENT May 14-15: AAPB Public Broadband Conference and Hill Day (Washington DC)

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It’s not in Minnesota – but it still looks good for folks who are involved, or wanting to get involved in public broadband, or what I might call community networks…

RSVP HERE

Community First: The Future of Public Broadband Conference and Hill Day

May 14–15 | Washington, D.C.

The American Association for Public Broadband (AAPB) and New America Open Technology Institute (OTI) is proud to host Community First: The Future of Public Broadband Conference and Hill Day, our inaugural public broadband conference, bringing together public broadband champions, community leaders, policymakers and industry experts for two days of strategy, advocacy, discussions and networking in the nation’s capital.

As momentum grows for community-owned broadband networks and cooperatives, this event will provide an essential space to share best practices, discuss financing, shape public policy, and support the development and expansion of public broadband networks to ensure all Americans have access to reliable, high-speed, affordable internet service.

Not an AAPB member? Join today.

📅 Day 1: Wednesday, May 14 — Advocacy Training & Conference

Location: New America (740 15th St NW #900, Washington, DC 20005)

9:00 AM – 9:45 AM | Continental Breakfast (for Advocacy Training attendees)

Meet fellow attendees before diving into a hands-on advocacy training to kick off the day.

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM | Advocacy Training (for AAPB members)

Learn how to make a compelling case for public broadband to policymakers, the press, and the public. This session will help attendees prepare for Hill meetings with clear, persuasive talking points, tips for handling tough questions, and an overview of Hill etiquette and expectations. If you’re not an AAPB member but are interested in attending the training and Hill Day, please contact Gigi Sohn at gsohn@aapb.us.

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Lunch

Enjoy a catered lunch and connect with fellow attendees.

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Panel 1: From Vision to Connection – Building a Successful Public Broadband Network

This panel features public broadband leaders, technical experts, and policy strategists sharing lessons learned from launching and growing successful community-owned networks.

Moderator

To Be Announced

Panelists

Roger Timmerman

Executive Director, UTOPIA Fiber

Ellie de Villiers

Executive Director, Maple Broadband

Jordana Barton García

Director, Texas Rio Grande Valley Broadband Coalition, Connect Humanity

Scott Menhart

Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Traverse City Light & Power

2:00 PM – 2:15 PM | Fireside Chat: Gigi Sohn, Executive Director, AAPB and Elliot Noss, President and CEO, TING

2:15 PM – 3:15 PM | Panel 2: Bridging the Divide Together – Public-Private Partnerships for Broadband Expansion

Panelists will discuss how local governments and private ISPs can collaborate through public-private partnerships (PPPs) to expand broadband access.

Moderator

Sean Gonsalves

Associate Director for Communications, Community Broadband Networks Initiative, Institute for Local Self-Reliance

Panelists

Christa Shute

Executive Director, NEK Broadband

Elliot Noss

President and CEO, TING

Brian Hollister

Co-Founder and CEO, Bonfire Infrastructure Group

Jessica Fowler

Vice President, Business Development – Northeast, Vivacity Infrastructure Group

3:15 PM – 3:30 PM | Break

3:30 PM – 4:45 PM | Panel 3: Community Bandwidth: A Town Hall on Public Broadband Challenges & Solutions

Tired of short Q&A sessions? This interactive, town hall-style panel invites attendees to shape the conversation with a panel of experts on a wide range of topics affecting public broadband. Submit your questions and topics in advance using this form to help guide a dynamic discussion on the challenges and future of public broadband.

Moderator

Curtis Dean

Co-Founder and Executive Director, Community Broadband Action Network (CBAN)

Panelists

Chris Mitchell

Director, Community Broadband Networks Initiative, Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR)

Alex Kelley

Director of Broadband Consulting, Center for Rural Innovation

AnnMarie Gordon

Senior Field Marketing Manager, Municipalities, Calix

Mathers (Matt) Farr

President, RuCon Consulting & Engineering

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Networking Social

Wrap up the day with drinks and good conversation.

🏛️ Day 2: Thursday, May 15 — Hill Day

Location: Meeting place available upon RSVP

9:00 AM – 9:45 AM | Continental Breakfast

Meet at New America before heading to the Hill.

10:00 AM – 3:00 PM | Hill Day

AAPB will coordinate meetings with key members of Congress and their staff. This is your opportunity to advocate for public broadband and educate federal decision-makers about the importance of community-owned networks.

Who Should Attend:

 

·        Municipal broadband leaders

·        Cooperative broadband executives

·        Local, state, and tribal government officials and staff

·        Digital equity advocates

·        Public interest organizations

·        Private-sector partners committed to public broadband

 

 

Can community/public broadband plans help serve unserved areas?

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Stanford Social Innovation Review looks at why broadband has not reached some rural areas…

Broadband deserts exist largely because traditional finance and big-name ISPs do not build for communities too rural or too poor to hit their profit targets. Successive governments have responded with programs to attract providers to underserved communities, with mixed success. One hundred billion dollars in federal funding between 2010-2020 closed the digital divide by less than 1 percent. Why has so much money had so little impact?

First, these grants have too often funded technology that is obsolete by the time it is built. Take the Connect America Fund II (CAF II), a $10 billion Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program to connect rural areas with download speeds of 10 Mbps. By the time the program took effect in 2015, the broadband standard had been updated from 4 Mbps download/1 Mbps upload to 25/10 Mbps, leaving communities with outdated and inadequate infrastructure. Penn State Professor Christopher Ali calls this pursuit of short-term fixes “the politics of good enough,” repeatedly leaving rural and low-income communities behind. Instead of bursts of investment every five to 10 years, funding future-proof connectivity would offer far better use of tax dollars.

Second, program design has often led to poor results or outright failure. The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), a $20 billion program to fund high-speed rural internet, is a prime example. The FCC used a “reverse auction” structure, awarding funds to the lowest bidder rather than the most feasible proposals, creating a race-to-the-bottom. Combined with a lack of due diligence to ensure winners could deliver, the result has been a series of ongoing defaults, with ISPs dropping out and handing back funds. Of $9.2 billion awarded, defaults have so far reached $3.3 billion. That’s almost two million rural homes and businesses that will not receive service. In most cases, these areas were excluded from other funding opportunities and so will now likely get no help at all.

Third, public investments have too often been geared to benefit the large incumbent providers over the local, regional, and community-centric ISPs best placed to serve hard-to-connect communities (more on these later). Program rules and requirements, which may be speed bumps for large ISPs, can be roadblocks for smaller competitors that lack vast capital reserves and back offices. The effect is reinforcing a status quo where a few name-brand providers dominate an uncompetitive sector.

This is not to say public investment isn’t part of the solution (it’s vital). And that programs can’t be better designed to address the root problem (some have been). The $42 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program passed by the Biden administration was designed to sidestep some of these pitfalls, including 1) a clear preference for fiber as a resilient, long-term technology, 2) investing in state capacity to administer awards and ensure winners can deliver, and 3) provisions to make sure small providers are given a fair shake. Now, under the Trump administration, BEAD is headed for significant changes and a likely shift toward satellite providers like Elon Musk’s Starlink. While we remain hopeful that BEAD will make a real difference, it alone won’t solve the problem, even if administered perfectly.

Community broadband are offered as a solution, starting with reframing broadband as a utility…

Connecting communities left out by the market requires new approaches. Many goods—transportation, education, low-income housing—don’t work on a pure profit-maximizing basis. Broadband is no different. If we start from the position that connectivity is essential, we can align mission-driven capital to community-centric models that will deliver it, just as has been demonstrated in the sectors noted above.

Community broadband models are emerging to fill the gaps.

They offer some help…

But the answer isn’t simply replicating and rolling out what was done in Tennessee and Utah. Communities have a range of needs and realities that call for various models and different blends of financing. Organizations like ILSR and the American Association for Public Broadband are working to help communities find solutions that work for them. The missing piece is a dedicated capital market that can make these models work.