National League of Cities

Congress has made unprecedented federal investments in broadband infrastructure and digital equity. This moment is not just about installing conduit under streets and fiber on poles — it is about achieving and ensuring digital equity for our country as a whole. Conversations with Municipal Leaders: Digital Equity in Cities, a report by the National League of Cities, captures the combined perspectives and experiences of 22 US cities, towns and villages working to achieve digital equity.

The National League of Cities (NLC) released a new report titled, “A Digital Equity Playbook: How City Leaders Can Bridge the Digital Divide,” which calls on local leaders to take action to equip people across the country with the high-speed internet access they need to fully participate in modern society.

When the local cable company and only universal wireline Internet service in Tuttle (OK) went bankrupt a decade ago, local leaders rolled up their sleeves and got to work. Originally projected to be a five-year project, Tuttle's citywide fiber-to-the-home network was completed in Fall 2020 after just 3 years. The network hit an important milestone shortly after construction was finished: its financial break-even point.

What are steps local leaders can take right now to help low-income and vulnerable families access broadband connections and devices to get online during the crisis? 

• Help Your Residents Access Free and Low-Cost Broadband Plans
• Help Residents Access Free Devices
• Leverage Public Wi-Fi Options
• Partner with the Private Sector
• Connect with Your State Leadership

[Angelina Panettieri is the Legislative Manager for Information Technology and Communications at the National League of Cities]

Arkansas ranks 50th in connectivity and has an average speed of 29.1 megabits per second (Mbps). The average speed for the United States is 42.7 Mbps. But that could soon change. Until recently, the AR legislature preempted local governments from establishing municipal broadband services, leaving AR communities at the mercy of private companies focused on profit. Now, AR is looking to build the infrastructure it needs now for all of its communities, urban and rural.

Equity drives San Jose’s (CA) approach to bringing new technologies to the city, and the deployment of municipal broadband and municipal fiber lines are no exception. Located in Silicon Valley, San Jose city officials are acutely aware of the technology boom happening on their doorstep and are eager to welcome these advances, provided they can do so in a way that speaks to the needs of all residents.

With the seismic shift toward smart cities and the internet of things (IoT), reliance on wireless and wireline broadband infrastructure is becoming greater and greater. As various wireless providers maintain that the roll out of 5G internet service is approaching, and the IoT proliferates with the connection of millions of new smart devices to the internet, cities must face the reality that to meet the increasing demands of residents, more wireless facilities and infrastructure must be deployed.

In July 2018, the 30 members of the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee gathered at the Federal Communications Commission to develop and agree to debate new model state and local laws for broadband deployment. The group comprised one elected official and five total representatives of state or local governments — along with a wide range of members representing telecommunications companies, academic institutions known for their opposition to municipal broadband investment, and stakeholders representing the National Grange and LGBT Technology Partnership & Institute.