Category Archives: Community Networks

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.

Gigi Sohn counters recent opinion piece in Star Tribune questioning the need for public funding for broadband

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Last month, I wrote about a recent opinion piece in the MN Star Tribune that questioned the need for public funding for broadband. Today, the MN Star Tribune has posted a counter to that piece by Gigi Sohn, the executive director of the American Association for Public Broadband, an organization dedicated to ensuring that communities have the freedom to choose what broadband network best serves their residents.

Community-owned broadband networks are thriving across the country. The Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Community Network Map shows a record 795 public networks delivering fast, affordable and reliable internet — hardly the “magical thinking” Annette Meeks described in her recent commentary in the Minnesota Star Tribune on the Connect Willmar Initiative. (“Municipal broadband: A zombie in our midst,” Feb. 24.)

The real “zombie in our midst” is the dark money-fueled misinformation campaigns that keep rising from the dead, recycling the same debunked talking points that big broadband incumbents have peddled for decades. These attacks follow a familiar pattern, aiming to slow the momentum of communities adopting publicly owned networks.

Take the Freedom Foundation of Minnesota, the nonprofit organization that Meeks leads. Like other industry-backed groups, it trots out outdated claims that public broadband is a failure — ignoring the reality that most municipal networks are thriving. Just look at two of these — Idaho Falls and Ammon, Idaho. They are among the oldest and most successful public networks in the country. There are hundreds more examples across the United States.

Ironically, the Freedom Foundation claims to champion “individual freedom,” yet Meeks’ argument seeks to deny Minnesotans the freedom to choose the broadband network that best serves their needs. And since the Freedom Foundation is so focused on values, perhaps it should add transparency to its list: Who funds the foundation’s opposition to public broadband? Why do its arguments conveniently mirror those Big Cable has used for decades? No funders are listed on its website.

The Connect Willmar Initiative wasn’t born out of ideology — it was created because “local internet providers were not interested in improving Willmar’s internet infrastructure,” according to the city. Yet only after the initiative gained traction did Charter Communications swoop in, deploying its usual playbook. It propped up its fake consumer group, the Alliance for Quality Broadband — a front it has used elsewhere to derail public broadband efforts — and blanketed the area with Facebook ads and mailers warning that the initiative would “burn your tax dollars,” even though the city plans to pay for the network using bonds and other financial options, without an increase in taxes.

Star Tribune on Willmar’s municipal network moving forward

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I have been following the story, but it’s good to see the story of Connect Wilmar Initiative in the Minnesota Star Tribune…

The fate of a $24.5 million broadband project came down to one vote at a City Council meeting here on Monday night.

Seven council members faced a choice: forge ahead with an ambitious plan developed over the last two years to build a city-owned municipal broadband network, or heed a last-minute request from telecommunications giant Charter Communications to pause the project.

In a 4-3 vote, the City Council opted to continue work on the Connect Wilmar Initiative, a project to build an open-access, city-owned fiber optic network.

The project’s supporters said their goal is providing high-speed internet access to every home and business in Willmar, an agricultural city of about 21,000 known for its nearby lakes.

The network’s estimated $24.5 million in construction costs would be paid via bonds. Internet service providers would pay leasing fees to use the city’s network, revenue that Willmar would use to pay back the bonds, according to an explainer for the project.

Willmar City Council votes no to Charter Communication’s deal and sticks with Connect Willmar Initiative

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The West Central Tribune reports…

 The Willmar City Council on Monday in a split 4-3 vote approved a motion declining to accept the offer by Charter Communications to end the Connect Willmar Initiative.

Councilor Carl Shuldes made the motion, which was seconded by Councilor Vicki Davis. Both voted in favor of the motion, along with councilors Tom Gilbertson and Justin Ask.

They include a little background (of a story I have also been following)…

This decision comes after Charter, which does business in the city under the name Spectrum and is the city’s largest provider of internet and cable television services, on Feb. 7 sent a city to the Willmar mayor and council stating that Charter would build out a fiber-optic network in the Willmar Industrial Park at no cost to the city, but only if the city stopped its plan to construct a city-owned, open-access fiber-optic network throughout the whole city.

Charter also promised to upgrade its existing network to provide better, faster and more reliable service to Willmar businesses and residents.

After sending out a request for proposals to build out fiber-optic services in the industrial park, the city accepted Hometown Fiber’s proposal to build the citywide network; Charter did not submit a proposal. The city of Willmar, with the assistance of the Willmar Broadband Committee and Hometown Fiber, has been researching and planning the Connect Willmar Initiative for two years and has invested approximately $650,000 and countless human resource and volunteer hours on the initiative.

EVENT Mar 3: Willmar City Council meeting with Charter Communications on local broadband plans

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Willmar has been in the news a lot lately because of its broadband plan. I’ve been following the saga but ad a quick reminder – The Connect Willmar Initiative has been working with Hometown Fiber for two years on a open access network plan for the community. They presented it at a City Council meeting last month. Before that meeting, Charter Communications sent the Council a letter asking them to rethink Connect Willmar’s plan and offering to build fiber to the industrial park. According to the West Central Tribune, the City Council will learn more about that on Monday (Mar 3)…

 The Willmar City Council is expected to hear details of a proposed agreement between the city and Charter Communications at its meeting on Monday, March 3.

The meeting takes place at 6:30 p.m. in the boardroom at the Kandiyohi County Health and Human Services building, 2200 23rd St. N.E. in Willmar.

The agreement generally would be for the city of Willmar to terminate the Connect Willmar Initiative , a plan to build a citywide, open-access fiber-optic network, in favor of a guarantee by Charter Communications to build out fiber in the Willmar Industrial Park and enhance its services throughout the rest of the community at no cost to the city.

The West Central Tribune also reports…

Along with the letter, Charter has targeted Willmar residents with Facebook ads, and a mailer from the Alliance for Quality Broadband has been sent to Willmar residents stating the city will “burn your tax dollars” if it moves forward with the initiative.

The Alliance for Quality Broadband on its website says it is “supporting high-quality internet solutions,” and Charter is one of its coalition partners.

Charter did the same thing in Maine, successfully defeating at least two municipal broadband projects in Readfield and Southport, according to a July of 2022 report on Maine Public Radio.

The Connect Superior project in Superior, Wisconsin, is a similar project to the Connect Willmar Initiative. According to an email from Superior Mayor Jim Paine, Charter used the same tactics it is currently using in Willmar to try to put a stop to that project.

Freedom Foundation of Minnesota questions need for public funding for broadband in Minnesota

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Annette Meeks is from the Freedom Foundation of Minnesota, a group that advocates for free market and limited government. She has voiced her opinion on broadband and especially local government funding in broadband in the past. The Minnesota Star Tribune has published an Opinion piece she wrote about Willmar’s research into getting better broadband for residents…

Here we go again. Several Minnesota communities regrettably have been at the forefront of some of the most prolific municipal broadband failures in the country. As CEO of an organization that tracks wasteful government spending, I hoped we were done documenting muni-broadband failures. Yet it appears that we are not: Some Willmar city officials seem determined to risk taxpayer funds by investing in a project that could rack up $33 million in debt owed by taxpayers if the project fails.

I have been writing about the ongoing project; the City has been working with consultants, Hometown Fiber, on a plan to get better broadband. The plans were on the agenda of a recent Willmar City Council meeting; before that meeting Charter Communications offered an alternate plan. How to resolve the difference between the two proposals and/or find a way to collaborate has been a hot topic all February. Meeks outlines the various stages and sides of the discussion from the perspective of someone whose top concern is taxes. It’s an interesting lens…

Finally, one must ask the most important question: Is the Connect Willmar Initiative the highest priority for city tax revenue in 2025?
Whether you agree with the leadership of the new administration in Washington or not, one of the most bipartisan and popular initiatives launched thus far has been to seek out waste and fraud in our federal government.
Taxpayers are tired of paying high taxes that fund unrestrained government spending, which often provides little or no substantial services to the very same taxpayers footing the bill. But most important, city officials need to discern the difference between critical city services (building and maintaining city roads, prompt snow removal, affordable sewer and water services, and many others) and services that taxpayers can find if and when they need it and contract with a private service provider, all without government intervention. Government should only build what the private sector cannot or will not build.

Willmar city officials are making a huge and risky $33 million bet that they can beat the odds of many other communities across the country and build an internet project that will succeed. Since there isn’t one successful government-owned open-source internet network in the entire country, I think the odds are pretty good that Willmar will sadly join the legions of failed municipal operations that will regretfully leave city taxpayers paying a bill for a service they didn’t want and a network they don’t need.

You can get a glimpse of heat of the discussion in the comments to the opinion piece.

Fall Lake Township board will hear about BEAD and broadband at the next meeting

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The Ely Echo reports…

Gruba received a letter from RAMS executive director Paul Peltier regarding the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding program. An invite will be extended to Peltier to attend the next township regular meeting to discuss the details of the funding to address the challenges and history of broadband in the township.

Willmar Mayor notes broadband work in State of the City address

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The West Central Tribune reports on  Willmar Mayor Doug Reese delivered his State of the City address at Tuesday’s Willmar City Council meeting…

Reese also acknowledged the Connect Willmar Initiative, noting that the Willmar Industrial Park has long been a focus for growth in the city.

After receiving three proposals to extend fiber-optic broadband services to the industrial park, a broadband committee was formed to provide guidance and has spent two years researching and developing a planned open-access network throughout the city.

“The system will provide the fiber backbone for private companies to deliver fast and more reliable broadband service to residences and businesses,” Reese said. “If approved, this project will be the first of its kind in Minnesota. ”

After launching a new logo in February of 2024, one of the city’s goals this year is to amplify messaging on social media to engage, communicate and promote Willmar, for which staff took an eight-day social media training session, Reese said.

The Foundation for Rural Service published report: Delivering Broadband from Beginning to “End

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The Foundation for Rural Service has published a new report, Delivering Broadband from Beginning to “End.” It’s been a minute since I looked at a “how to” manual for rural broadband. They describe the work…

But as this paper will explain, funding a project is just the start of the journey to bring broadband to your home, business, or community At times the process, from the initial decision or funding award to invest to completion of deployment, seems slow and frustrating for members of the community looking forward to a better broadband connection (or to their first opportunity to enjoy one) The following report explains the numerous steps, and at times hurdles, that go into designing and delivering a reliable and robust broadband network and attempts to answer the often-asked question “why is this taking so long?” Additionally, this report addresses the fact that the job is hardly complete when constructing the network is “done ” Because what matters most to consumers (the availability, affordability, and reliability of services) must be a central focus and require funding and attention.

It is that last step that caught my eye – in part because I just finished watching a MN Legislative meeting to broadband deployment and then support for city, township and county cyber security. You may own your house (or your network) but it still isn’t free. The whole report is definitely worth a looking, especially for the timeline near the end. I wanted to share some of the conclusion…

The deployment of broadband technology and delivery of broadband services from beginning to “end” represents a pivotal advancement in our collective digital journey While bridging the digital divide, expanding broadband infrastructure can revolutionize connectivity and enhance economic opportunities But it takes hard work and timeintensive effort to build a network from the planning and permitting stages through actual construction – and the job is just beginning when the network is “done ” …

The deployment of broadband networks is undoubtedly a monumental task, requiring immense coordination, technical expertise, and financial investment However, challenges still present themselves after the network is built Operating a broadband network is not a passive endeavor It is a dynamic business that demands continuous oversight, adaptability, and customer-focused strategies While many understandably focus on the excitement associated with broadband deployment and the initial thrill of announcing that customers are connected, we cannot overlook the many steps that go into making that happen in the first place – and the many additional ongoing steps that go into making sure that this has a lasting impact for those that get connected