Could a fiber conduit interstate boost US broadband competition?

Shrihari Pandit, CEO of fiber ISP Stealth Communications, argued the creation of an open access conduit system across the US could help spur broadband competition by lowering barriers to entry for new players. Pandit pitched the construction of a conduit highway akin to the Interstate, which would allow fiber to be more easily run between cities and towns. The CEO stressed the government should only be responsible for building the conduits and not for running fiber or other lines, leaving decisions about what technology to use up to providers. In the long term, he argued such infrastructure would be more effective than government subsidies in spreading broadband across the US and increasing choice for consumers by allowing “independent ISPs to come back.” Indeed, New York City issued a request for proposals (RFP) for its Universal Solicitation for Broadband project, similar to what Pandit proposed. The RFP included three workstreams with one specifically dedicated to the creation of open access broadband infrastructure, and a pilot version of the program in 2020 resulted in numerous ISPs signing on to offer broadband to thousands in New York City. Analysts are critical of Pandits comments and a potential open access conduit system, saying that the idea has been around for a long time and could disenfranchise a number of companies which have already invested in fiber conduits and poles. Nevertheless, they note that now is the time to propose such a model due to the number of infrastructure and broadband proposals currently under consideration.