Involving local stakeholders is crucial for success with publicly owned networks

Engagement is key with any successful public broadband network hoping to get off the ground, according to Chris Walker, the senior executive director of Infrastructure Strategy Noa Net, a non-profit public broadband organization owned by public utilities that operates in the Pacific Northwest. Kerem Durdag, the CEO of Maine-based Great Works Internet, said providers need to realize it’s alright to make money, but it’s also alright to have a social contract defining how a given project will benefit the community. Bill Badran, the broadband services supervisor from the Holland Board of Public Works in Holland, Michigan, said it takes a lot of steps and warned those embarking on a journey to open publicly-owned open access networks to expect pain points. Laura Lewis, the owner of LRB Public Finance Advisors, which provides financial consulting services to municipalities, encouraged those hoping to build community-owned networks not to take no for an answer if it’s the kneejerk response to such a suggestion. “There is always a way to get these things done,” she said, and referenced a wealth of tools for local governments that are often available at the state and federal level.