Broadband Nation - Blog Introduction

Thank you in advance for visiting...

The United States ranks a dismal 17th in the World in broadband deployments and services while offering the most expensive services available compared to other nations around the World. Most of this can be attributed to past FCC and White House administrations and their blatant support of large incumbent Telecom's and Cable Companies.

It is quite clear that Communities, Municipalities, Cities and Counties within the United States have desired to build out their own broadband (wireless) infrastructures for their Citizenry, Businesses, Tourists, Local Governments, School Systems, Health Care Providers, Public Safety, First Responders and Low-Income Households, serving their Urban, Suburban and Rural Geographical Service Areas (GSA's), since broadband Wi-Fi (802.11n) became tried and true in the marketplace.

Newer broadband technologies will allow Communities, Municipalities, Cities and Counties to build towards developing and deploying extremely cost-effective high speed broadband communications, networks, applications and services that will help these public agencies and systems define their own broadband futures in all urban, suburban and rural markets within the United States.

This blog will present ideas that will introduce creative solutions to benefit all Americans and businesses and hopefully prevent federal government officials, Congress, the FCC and the NTIA BTOP/RUS from following the flawed bureaucratic processes of the past and to capture as much "broadband bang-for-the-taxpayer buck" from the new Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Association (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and the Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service (RUS) program as possible.

It will also introduce variances from traditional business models that will allow large incumbent service providers to maintain bottom line profits while bettering their brands in the eyes of the American people. This is important because there is no getting around the large incumbents in the United States especially due to the blatant support of these incumbents by the past FCC/Federal Legislators and because of the spectrum auctions/lease agreements that have been executed to this point.

We can try to compare our new broadband stimulus to that of, let's say, Australia but the comparisons quickly become irrelevant when you look at the differences in funding, deployment, spectrum allocation/availability and operational models being proposed. In the United States we have what we have to work with (the Government, large incumbent service providers, the FCC, etc.) and it will take creative solutions and fundamental changes in traditional models, policy and rules to achieve the lofty goals initiated by the new Obama administration. This must all be accomplished while allowing incumbents to maintain bottom line profits. In fact, the Telecom and Cable sector are poised to take proactive steps to accomplish these overall goals.

It is also important to point out that as of the date of this blog post Obama FCC Chair nominee Julius Genachowski has yet to be confirmed by the Senate. When confirmed, Mr. Genachowski will certainly introduce the changes needed to accomplish the tasks he is charged with... namely changes in FCC policy and rules to facilitate development and deployment of a national broadband plan and infrastructure.

The need for creative, forward thinking approaches towards implementing successful and sustainable broadband technology and operating models in the new US broadband wireless arena is only compounded by the fact that we need to relieve much of the onus that will be exacted upon Federal and State departmental officials and the NTIA BTOP/RUS to coordinate and implement sustainable and transparent broadband programs.

There is a total of $7.2 billion of funding available from the NTIA BTOP and RUS through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. Institutional and private sector monies must also be solicited to fortify flailing credit markets. The technology sector can help to accommodate this need as this is one market segment that will continue to thrive and help the United States and the World to recover from the current economic downturn.

Large private sector financial institutions and financial advisers have already expressed interest in migrating from traditional investment vehicles to specifically bolster investment in newer broadband facilities and infrastructures.

It is also important to realize that NTIA BTOP and RUS program monies are going to improve upon and help sustain the many programs that will be introduced by the ARRA as a whole (outside of the broadband stimulus). Broadband wireless infrastructures will directly affect the success and sustainability of these ARRA programs. A sensible broadband plan will also benefit other industries such as the newspaper publishing industry (more on this later).

We have reached an initiatory pinnacle as far as technology, vehicles and instruments to deliver broadband communications and services and it comes down to proper wireless spectrum allocation, availability and usage, fiber, improved satellite and ground based services, creative operating/business models and ongoing improvement in technology and models using the available assets.

The fact that we no longer need hard line or hard wired Telecom or Cable Company incumbents to deliver these services is a blessing in disguise to Communities, Municipalities, Cities and Counties in all Urban, Suburban, and Rural markets within the United States.

Large incumbents, such as Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, Clearwire, Comcast, Time Warner, etc., have been lobbying and strategizing to monopolize and lease/sub-lease these new wireless markets and spectrum. There is absolutely no room for these large incumbents, acting as middle men, to offer the core broadband communications and wireless infrastructures to our Communities, Municipalities, Cities and Counties and compete to pull every dollar possible from our cash-starved communities, local governments, municipalities and associated public agencies.

Large incumbents should be exploring strategic partnerships and alliances with these public agencies to allow for concurrent build out and operation of usable spectrum and developing creative revenue models that allow these public agencies to sustain the very NTIA BTOP, RUS and ARRA programs they will be applying for.

We will look to large incumbents to provide enhanced services through their new wireless networks and we will demand and pay for those extended services. It is important however that Communities, Municipalities, Cities and Counties implement the technology, dark fiber and spectrum available to build out their own broadband wireless infrastructures for their Urban, Suburban and Rural markets (their asset), generate revenue from those infrastructures, and build towards their own broadband futures.

It is time Americans had a choice. A choice between large incumbents and local wireless broadband service providers (or combination of both); a choice between supporting our local economy by using local providers and opting to receive enhanced services form large incumbents; a choice between building a self sustaining community or one monopolized by large incumbents. With the "change" that President Obama is promising there must also be the choices that all Americans can make to implement that change and improve their quality of life.

This blog will provide information on all of these aforementioned issues along with explaining and defining the potential roles of large Telecoms and Cable incumbents, private sector investment, the FCC, NTIA BTOP, RUS and will help to introduce new standards and overall fundamental improvements to traditional broadband operating models to jump start a quick and sensible path to broadband excellence within the United States.

If you would like for this blog to address specific issues or initiatives please comment below.

Thank you,

Brad Bowman