Economic Stimulus Fiber

by Ann Treacy • There are growing calls for the economic stimulus package to include funds for telecommunications infrastructure. I think that this is a great idea. Unfortunately, the calls for this funding always include the phrase “underserved areas.” I do not know of many areas in the United States that are “over-served.” By most definitions of high-speed broadband, most locations – urban, suburban and rural – are underserved. In my suburban Twin Cities home, I have only one choice for broadband.

Blandin on Broadband offers information on broadband use, access, and trends especially in rural Minnesota. Sponsored by the Blandin Foundation and their Broadband Initiative.

I know that the stimulus package has job creation as a primary goal, but we should also be strategic in our investments so that maximum competitive advantage is gained with these expenditures with borrowed money. The benefit has to extend to the life of the bonds used to pay for the investment, not just pump money into the economy.

Broadband hearings in St. Paul by Sheldon Mains, TC Daily Planet On December 22, Senator Amy Klobuchar held a hearing at the Minnesota State Capital on access to high-speed data networks (referred to as broadband) yesterday. It was standing room only in one of the smaller hearing rooms. MORE AND Senator Klobuchar Broadband Roundtable Notes Dec 29 from Ann Treacy

These funds should be available to all providers – incumbents, CLECs, cable companies, community networks, wireless companies, to whoever can demonstrate that their plan is sound, financially and technically. I do agree with the ideas that these networks should be open to competitors, once again, as a way to increase the value that the public derives from these investments. It is truly unfortunate, that the federal government has zero policies on the importance of broadband, the definition of broadband, open access networks, urban-suburban-rural investment priorities. If we did, this funding would be guaranteed to have a positive impact. I worry now that we will be hearing many stories of “fiber to nowhere.”