How Can State, Local Gov Help Ensure Sustainable Broadband?

With more state and local government agencies prioritizing broadband, experts say it is important to make sure the work they are doing is sustainable. In fact, Merit — an independent nonprofit corporation governed by Michigan’s public universities — is hosting an upcoming webinar (State and Local Coordination Make Broadband Programs More Sustainable) on this very topic, offering insights on state and local coordination efforts, working with state broadband offices and other related issues. According to Francella Ochillo, executive director of Next Century Cities, who will present during the webinar, the phrase "sustainable broadband" refers to the long-term plan and execution of providing citizens with a stable and reliable Internet connection. This concept, however, often tends to be mistaken or misunderstood. In the most basic sense, sustainable broadband means high-speed Internet that is built to keep users connected in perpetuity, not for limited windows. This, of course, is not always an easy thing to achieve.