Avoiding another multi-billion-dollar broadband boondoggle

Efforts to connect the unconnected have fallen way short. Many billions of dollars have been thrown at this, through multiple initiatives, programs and subsidies. Given the magnitude of the spend, there has been relatively little progress in providing decent broadband service to underserved households, or in making broadband more affordable for the tens of millions of households for whom that $50-$60 bill presents a financial challenge. There are three pillars involved in solving this problem once and for all: how to properly count/measure who can’t get broadband or can’t afford it; how, technically, we can reach that last ~15% of unserved/underserved households; and how to fund broadband expansion/affordability initiatives. It would be good to set a goal. Let’s get a firm count on the number of underserved households and set an objective of reaching a significant percentage of them by 2025. That’s chipping away at some 2-3 million households per year, roughly speaking. With all the new spectrum, 5G, stimulus dollars, and some effective public-private sector cooperation, this is achievable. 

[Mark Lowenstein, a leading industry analyst, consultant, and commentator, is managing director of Mobile Ecosystem]