U.S. Broadband Summit Explores How Industry and Governments Can Overcome Obstacles to Bridging the Digital Divide

It took 35 years for the U.S. Interstate System to go from its initial funding in 1956 to completion. Rural electrification started in 1936 and took about 25 years. Those are just two examples of the kind of generational, transformational investment necessary to make broadband as ubiquitous as highways and power.

The U.S. Broadband Summit, held Nov. 15-17, 2023, explored how that investment could play out, including the need for collaboration between communications service providers (CSPs), vendors and governments. A recurring theme was the need for comprehensive approaches to broadband deployment. This includes addressing affordability, universal access, workforce development, streamlined regulatory processes and multiple technologies rather than just fiber.

Although interstates and rural electrification were federal initiatives, many speakers said states and municipalities need to play a key role in closing the digital divide. One example is the $42.45 billion federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which states and local governments can use for the workforce development that will be crucial for ensuring that federally funded networks are built on time and within budget. That’s because, as the “Challenges and Opportunities for State Broadband Deployments” roundtable noted, labor is one of the top buildout hurdles.

States and municipalities can also provide communications service providers (CSPs) with local expertise to pinpoint exactly where the unserved and underserved areas are in each community. Another resource is geographic information systems (GIS), which the “Location Technology and Extending Broadband’s Reach” keynote speakers said CSPs can leverage to make informed buildout decisions.

Stretching Every Dollar of Public and Private Investment

iconectiv TruOps™ Common Language® can provide CSPs with an additional layer of insights for quickly and cost-effectively expanding their fiber and 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) networks. One example is CLLI™ Codes, which over 1,800 CSPs use to identify, classify and understand the location and other attributes of network infrastructure such as towers, routers and points of presence. In both rural communities and urban areas, CLLI Codes help CSPs streamline interconnection with their peers, maximize efficiency and minimize errors in network design and provisioning.

Another powerful Common Language feature is Network View, an interactive digital map. CSPs simply enter location information such as a street address to see all of the telecom equipment with a CLLI Code at that site.

CLLI Codes and Network view can help CSPs wring maximum service coverage out of each private equity and public dollar, which is key for making broadband as ubiquitous as highways and electricity. Common Language streamlines operational processes by centralizing information and offering a clear view of the network. This helps automate operations and reduce manual workloads, which frees CSPs’ employees to focus on other tasks, which is also an example of how Common Language can help CSPs overcome the chronic shortage of skilled workers.

To learn more about how CLLI Codes, Network View and other Common Language capabilities will be instrumental in bridging the digital divide, visit https://iconectiv.com/truops/common-language.