The following article originally appeared in The New York Times.
More than 80 percent of American adults use the Internet, a number that will continue to increase alongside consumer demand for broadband-enabled devices and applications. Given this trend, the U.S. should expand its current definition of physical infrastructure beyond local and national water mains, electrical grids, roads, bridges and highways to include high-speed broadband. And, it’s imperative that broadband is widely available to every citizen, regardless of who they are and where they live.
However, treating high speed broadband as infrastructure is complicated.
Several years ago, the Federal Communications Commission recommended including easier access to poles, conduits, ducts, rights of way, “dig once” legislation and the placement of communications infrastructure on federal lands — all vital to more effective coordination between the public and private sectors. Congress recently introduced bipartisan legislation to facilitate alignment between federal agencies and private network providers to include the installation of pipes carrying fiber-optic cables as part of federally funded highway construction projects.
Generally, the private sector has been critical in scaling and sustaining broadband networks, making government incentives only part of the solution. Regulatory certainty is of equal importance as industry works toward adequate returns on their investments. Despite years of fluid investment in broadband infrastructure, some economists argue that the F.C.C.’s recent reclassification of broadband Internet as a Title II service, will see a corollary decline in the building and enhancing of networks, despite increased government incentives.
President Obama has outlined aggressive goals for wireless infrastructure, prompting immediate actions to alleviate the current strains on this platform. Yet, without sound legislation and public policies that incentivize the continued development of robust broadband and the repurposing of federal spectrum from government to commercial uses, wireless infrastructure will not evolve into a more sustainable and reliable asset.
Going forward, we must support policies and investments that encourage, not limit, broadband infrastructure investments. Our nation builds roads and highways to make it easier for citizens to reach their destinations without limited interruptions and costs. The same goals should be applied to broadband to make it easier, faster, and more cost effective for all citizens to connect.
Nicol Turner-Lee, Ph.D., Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee is Vice President and Chief Research and Policy Officer for the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC). Prior to joining MMTC, she served as President and CEO to NAMIC, a professional association representing diversity in the cable industry and as Vice President and Director of the Media and Technology Institute at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.
