National broadband policy should lower barriers to local governme...
National broadband policy should lower barriers to local government participation so municipalities can fill gaps in private sector coverage, said National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors President-elect Joanne Hovis. On a Tuesday breakfast panel hosted by Broadband Census,…
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Hovis said many local governments have creative ideas to spur broadband in their community, including deployment of government-funded networks. But “there are 17 states that preclude or … create enormous barriers to municipal participation in broadband,” she said. In addition to restrictive state legislation, municipalities face threats of litigation and “massive lobbying efforts,” she said: “This includes in places where carriers have not built, and do not intend to build.” Comcast Senior Vice President Joe Waz agreed government-funded broadband networks can be a good solution for unserved areas. But municipal networks haven’t been successful in cities like Philadelphia, which worked with EarthLink to set up a free Wi-Fi network. “This was a romantic vision that didn’t pan out,” he said. Muni Wi-Fi was a good idea by private sector entities that failed, but it showed local governments’ desire to fill broadband holes, Hovis said. Muni Wi-Fi may not have worked, but muni fiber could, she said.