Transcript:
What are the biggest challenges governments have faced in addressing the digital divide?
Garcia: The federal government has been funding broadband expansion since the Clinton Administration and we’ve made some significant strides, especially in rural America. But with the pandemic, broadband went from a nice-to-have to a lifeline necessity. It became less about a rural accessibility issue and more of a multidimensional issue in terms of affordability and education. The challenge for local governments is to really understand where and why there are underserved constituents and build strategies to address them. It’s also about a coalition of the willing — looking at new players in the market, partnerships and how governments can offer more services online.
What technology is available to expand broadband access?
Garcia: There’s no one solution that is going to fix everything. Fiber provides the most bandwidth for many years to come; however, it comes at a high capital cost. Cisco’s optical solutions can light the fiber and provide the necessary redundancy. Governments can look to partner with an internet service provider (ISP) or wholesale operator to provide fiber throughout their community. Wireless technology is advancing and can be less expensive but provides less bandwidth and has higher operational costs. 4G, 5G and wireless backhaul technologies can be an effective solution while long-term fiber is being constructed.
What funding opportunities are currently available to governments?
Gorsen: In addition to rural broadband grants and loans for ISPs approved prior to COVID and COVID-related funding to schools, states and localities, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is the single largest investment for broadband ever. This funding will help enable internet connectivity, telehealth, distance learning, hybrid work, digital equity and community revitalization. A challenge is how to plan, prioritize, approve and spend federal, state and local funding smarter, faster and within deadlines. Even with this historic investment in broadband, funding will be awarded on a competitive basis; there will be far more applications than funding. There are grants and loans whose lead applicant is either an ISP, local government, non-profit, electric utility or a combination to form a public[1]private partnership. Broadband infrastructure deployment funding is prioritized for unserved, underserved and persistent poverty census blocks. Cisco’s Public Funding Office helps state and local governments, service providers and anchor institutions to identify funding sources. Planning, applying for and post-award spending of federal and state funding is complex; mistakes may disqualify an applicant. Procuring an expert for mapping broadband coverage and adoption as well as how to apply is recommended.
How can governments use these funding opportunities to develop a cohesive strategy to address the digital divide?
Garcia: Start by putting together a local broadband action team consisting of government users that understand current and future needs, but also business and residential users and community anchors. Send out surveys to understand what services are out there and what costs are associated with them. Develop a needs assessment of what’s out there so you’re building a cohesive strategy. From there, start to build out a community playbook that correlates market demographics with opportunities for broadband access. Look at road and utility projects that could leverage trenching for fiber. Some of the funding can also be used to expand government networks and services.
Gorsen: Collaborate — talk to your colleagues in other counties, cities and states. Adopt their best practices. Repeat them. They work.
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