Lukas Pietrzak

On February 10th, Next Century Cities released "What Comes Next? A Community-Centered Approach to Legacy Network Retirement," a paper that advocates for the Federal Communications Commission to revisit consumer-protection safeguards to guide legacy telecommunications network retirement.

There is an ongoing need to improve broadband data collections with community-level perspectives, affordability metrics, and adoption rates. Inaccurate federal broadband mapping data impacts broadband deployment efforts throughout the United States states and its territories. Using Federal Communications Commission data, state mapping, and submissions from local leaders, this report provides a state-by-state review of broadband access.

Next Century Cities submitted comments in response to the Wireline Competition Bureau’s January 4th public notice requesting comments on how the Federal Communications Commission should implement the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program as designated in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. NCC’s comments focus on developing an inclusive and competitive list of participating providers, incorporating pricing disclosure requirements to help the FCC assess affordability, and partnering with local and state officials who are critical partners for promoting the program.

Across New Mexico, school districts and local governments are adapting to a new normal by supporting students and young adults preparing to enter the workforce. While officials have been working to close the digital divide for years, additional funding from the CARES Act and state resources are allowing Albuquerque officials to pursue innovative solutions that can close the divide with greater efficiency. These goals are not being achieved strictly through the government’s work.

The Mesa, Arizona community is taking major steps to bridge the digital divide for residents across their community. Although Arizona has begun to see a decline in their COVID-19 cases, the municipal government, school district, and community leaders continue to take decisive action to ensure that every household has access to technology and the internet for as long as stay at home orders remain in place. Mesa’s specific focus on their student population is a method adopted by many communities across the country.

Municipal broadband networks can have a positive impact on their communities. Municipal networks, often managed and operated fully or partially by local governments, exhibit a high level of responsiveness to consumer needs and lower prices than larger internet service providers such as AT&T and Comcast.