How Broadband Infrastructure Gets Built

Each day in the US, Americans access billions of webpages, stream millions of videos, and participate in thousands of hours of virtual meetings over broadband networks. All of this relies on the physical infrastructure of the internet—cables, wires, servers, routers, network switches, pipes, poles, wireless towers, and more. And building, connecting, and maintaining that infrastructure involves a complex set of activities, such as securing permits and easements, attaching wires and other equipment to poles, and siting wireless facilities. For local and state policymakers, ensuring that communities have the infrastructure they need to support all those webpages, videos, and meetings means understanding those requirements and navigating a range of legal and logistical challenges.

[Anna Read is senior officer and Kathryn de Wit is project director at The Pew Charitable Trusts' Broadband Access Initiative.]