What is community broadband and why it matters

The digital divide needs to be closed for society to grow, but without the high demand to ensure a return on investment, many smaller, less fortunate communities risk falling behind in a widening gap. The longer larger companies wait to prioritize these regions, the further isolated the people who live there may become from the rapidly digitizing future. Who will take ownership to bring those communities across the digital divide? With community broadband, the residents themselves can take the initiative to carry their communities across the digital divide and give themselves a fighting chance to keep up. Community broadband encompasses not only those in rural areas that need service but also people in poor neighborhoods in big cities. Here are four ways community and business leaders can build out the best model:

1. Assess community needs. Get a clear picture of the services available, barriers to access or speeds, the devices people use most, and where they use them. With this understanding, broadband business leaders and entrepreneurs can create the best programs to address those community needs.
2. Upgrade rural electrical co-ops. Local electric cooperatives may already have the necessary resources, infrastructure, and personnel needed through their existing operations that can be modernized to incorporate fiber and bring high-speed broadband to community homes and businesses.
3. Look into partnerships. City-owned or investor-owned utilities may allow local providers to use their existing infrastructure as the middle-mile network: This connects main data routes to the last mile, bringing service to homes and businesses. Multiple towns or municipal entities might also partner to form regional utility districts, combining the populations of multiple regions and raising the aggregate demand.
4. Get local voices involved. Encourage community leaders to determine where to allocate money for buildouts, the rate and type of deployment, whether to take on a partner, or where it would be better to focus on affordability. Let each group of affected citizens give their input into making decisions that are best for their communities.

[Cheri Beranek is the President and CEO of Clearfield, providing optical-fiber management and connectivity solutions across North America.]