Helping communities prepare for broadband opportunity

The Roman philosopher Seneca said that good luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. In what the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society has called “our broadband moments,” preparation requires bold community leadership that moves a community to gather data and build trusted relationships allowing them to be ready to act when opportunity arises. President Biden has pledged to make sure that every American has access to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet. Full participation in our twenty-first century economy requires no less. Through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Congress is giving states the support needed to achieve that goal. The federal government is beginning to distribute billions of dollars to states to deploy high-speed broadband networks everywhere in the country. States, in turn, can only succeed by committing to close and ongoing coordination with the communities that stand to benefit from these unprecedented investments. To ensure their communities are not left behind, local leaders must be prepared to propose and implement projects The Accelerate community broadband planning program educates and supports community leadership teams as they create their community’s broadband vision and goals and pursue the best possible broadband solutions for their area. By delivering the Accelerate process to multiple communities or counties simultaneously through a cohort approach, state broadband officials can provide high-quality education and guidance that empowers communities to effectively spur broadband deployment through a variety of deployment models, including public-private partnerships.

[Bill Coleman assists communities develop and implement broadband infrastructure and market development programs. As an accomplished community planner and technology consultant, Bill ensures that communities make sound technology decisions using innovative, collaborative strategies. His facilitation techniques lead to quick victories and sustained effort.]