Planes, trains and automobiles: The challenges of bringing broadband everywhere

At Fiber Connect in Nashville (TN), a panel of experts discussed the challenges of delivering broadband to the absolute hardest places in America using ferries, planes, and crossing international borders. One example came from panelist Donna Hilty, COO at Whidbey Telecom, which is in the Northwest corner of the state of Washington. The company’s footprint covers several islands. Hilty said their most remote site is part of Washington but requires techs to take a plane or boat and also to cross the Canadian border to get there, a difficult situation even before President Trump's tariffs. “Now we have a problem with the tariffs and a situation in Canada, so it's not nearly as friendly, and we may have some problems bringing materials over there." Jason Thune Thune from Hawaiian Telcom, who has to ship materials and workers in order to build, said planning a timeline to build to remote locations is important. He likened it to planning a large event. You have to source materials and line up crews. “It's literally like putting a production together,” he said. Regarding the level of production involved in delivering broadband, panel moderator Kathryn de Wit with Pew Charitable Trusts, said the idea that it’s no big deal if BEAD is delayed for several months is wrong-headed. “It does really matter for planning."