Broadband Barriers: What Is the Biggest Hurdle to Universal Access?

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Our 10 government, industry and nonprofit representatives answer what they see as the biggest barrier that is impeding access to broadband.

John Jones: From a provider standpoint it’s going to be cost. Most markets we serve already have some form of broadband and it varies from 1.5 all the way up to a gigabit. So what’s left in our footprint anyway are the most uneconomical markets.

Chris Mitchell: State law might be the biggest barrier in some areas, but for the average community, it is intimidation. It’s a fear of going into competition or investing in competition against a rival that is much more powerful in the market. Local government officials are afraid of the incumbents undercutting public investments with predatory pricing and thereby making it appear that the public investment is a failure.

Joanne Hovis: Because of the high capital costs necessary to build broadband networks, it is challenging to build a business case for rural broadband, and private-sector investment dollars tend to go to places where return on investment is greater, both in urban and rural markets. A handful of companies enjoy monopoly or duopoly status in those markets, and the benefits of new investment, competition and competitive pricing don’t emerge.

[Joanne Hovis is a member of the Benton Foundation's Board of Directors]


Broadband Barriers: What Is the Biggest Hurdle to Universal Access?