Localism

Here's what the Federal Communications Commission will consider at its June 2021 open meeting.

President Biden’s recently announced infrastructure proposal calls for a massive, unprecedented investment aimed at connecting all Americans to the Internet, one that has led to some digital equity experts calling it a potential game changer for their work. What does Biden’s plan need to do to fully address digital equity and Internet access in the United States? Experts say: availability is goog; adoption is better.

Radio and television stations’ local content – particularly news – provides great value for audiences on the major technology platforms. However, broadcasters are not fairly compensated for this valuable content because of the way the markets currently operate. The reason for that is simple – these tech platforms have substantial market power in their provision of services, and they use that power for advancing their own growth and benefit to the detriment of local broadcast journalism.

In light of many moving pieces and the potential broadband funding streams, we recommend communities take the following steps to develop a funding strategy and position themselves competitively for federal dollars:

Over several years, locally-initiated and operated Internet infrastructure projects have attempted to provide online connectivity and simultaneously achieve various social goals. Many generations of do-it-yourself network efforts that are either wireless, such as community mesh networks, or wired, such as fiber cooperatives, exist, but in the United States scaled developments have been stalled for a variety of reasons. This research examines the history of local connectivity efforts as well as technologies designed to cultivate sharing or commons organizational approaches.

As the pandemic continues to underscore the importance of reliable, at-home internet service, debate rages over whether local governments should be permitted to build out and run their own broadband networks, either on their own or with the help of a private partner. The White House, in its infrastructure proposal released earlier this month, has thrown its support behind allowing municipalities to explore such options.

To truly unleash the power of localized broadband deployment, we should ensure all community-based providers have a seat at the table.

Trust between partners is critical to successful public/private broadband partnerships, said James Baller, a partner with Keller & Heckman, a law firm with a specialty in telecom. A good public/private partnership agreement addresses dozens of variables, said Baller.

This white paper explains how communities can ensure access to fifth-generation wireless bandwidth and services (5G) for all residents through citywide, architecturally coherent, shared wireless networks. The public-private partnership approach outlined below—made possible by recent developments in private wireless networking—enables communities to co-create ubiquitous, resource-efficient, and flexible neutral host networks that facilitate equitable deployment of wireless connectivity.

In a letter to the Federal Communications Commission Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, a group of senators urged the FCC to ensure that state, local, and tribal governments are included in efforts to update nationwide broadband maps. Following decades-long use of inaccurate data maps that denied broadband funding to eligible communities, the FCC was charged by Congress with creating new maps in 2020 to accurately depict the current state of broadband access in our nation.