Let’s promote all broadband technologies to speed help to all Americans

The House should waste no time in passing the badly needed infrastructure bill while expanding its scope to include support for all viable broadband technologies demanded today by consumers. Fixed wireless is an efficient, competitive and popular high-speed alternative to fiber, particularly in more remote areas. With the massive investments going into the deployment of 5G wireless technologies by both national and local broadband internet service providers, fixed wireless capability is only getting better. Fixed wireless also offers a competitive option for many consumers, particularly in underserved markets where competition is lacking and fiber deployment is lagging. A comprehensive fiber network connecting every home can take years to deploy; in these situations, fixed wireless technology can provide a high-quality, lower-cost solution that can be deployed more rapidly than fiber. The capital cost per subscriber for fixed wireless is nearly 10 times less than fiber and deployment is measured in months not years, making it an effective and speedy method to connect rural, unserved and underserved communities. A one-size-fits-all policy is rarely the solution, especially for macro-level challenges such as promoting connectivity to all. While it fills a tremendous need in urban and densely populated communities, wired fiber solutions for broadband are not the answer everywhere.

[Mignon Clyburn, a Democrat, served as a commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission from 2009 to 2018, including as acting chair from May 2013 to October 2013. Robert McDowell, a Republican, served as a commissioner of the FCC from 2006 to 2013 and is a partner at Cooley LLP, where he co-leads its global communications practice.]