“A once in a generation bill” is how R. Richard Geddes, a non-resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, characterizes the just passed infrastructure bill by the U.S. Senate (WSJ). This statement echoes comments made by trade association CEOs interviewed at the recent Fiber Connect 2021 conference. The details remain to be seen, particularly as it goes to the House of Representatives next. It will be particularly interesting to see its impact on new approaches and technologies to broadband deployments (see the Korner, below for more on that).
An Opportunity to Provide a Legacy for Generations…
“This is really bigger than any of us; where we have the opportunity to provide a legacy for generations to come by being able to connect every American with fiber,” says Gary Bolton, president & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association. Speaking from the FBA’s booth at the soldout Fiber Connect 2021, Bolton was speaking of the unprecedented private and public investment in fiber infrastructure.
Local Makes the Difference
“Regardless of your corporate structure, whether you are cooperative, you’re a family held your locally held, the fact that you are local is really what makes the difference,” says Shirley Bloomfield, NTCA CEO. Speaking at Fiber Connect 2021, it is encouraging to Bloomfield that the White House is talking about the importance of local entities in not only bringing broadband to rural America but in bringing the associated applications to create smart rural communities.
An Untold Story of Connecting Communities
“It’s really been a success story, actually, an untold story of the pandemic about what our members have been able to do and accomplish to keep their customers and communities connected in one of our nation’s worst times,” says ACA Connects president and CEO, Matt Polka. Speaking at Fiber Connect 2021, Polka argues that lighter-touch regulation created an environment conducive to investment in broadband networks.
Parallel Paths Lead to Broadband Convergence
“We are looking at different trends that are in parallel that are coming to fruition at the same time,” states Ken Ko, Managing Director of the Broadband Forum. This is leading to a convergence between 5G and fiber networks. This convergence is being driven by operators wishing to create zero-downtime networks that are able to rapidly adapt and respond to the ever-increasing demand for upstream and downstream speeds and new services.
Upward Urban & Rural Mobility via Autonomous Mobility
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. The picture Selika Josiah Talbott chose for her virtual backdrop at the recent 2021 TRB Annual Automated Road Transportation Symposium sums up the mobility challenges that urban and rural locales face with existing infrastructure, particularly in low-income areas. As she says, in many places, “Conditions aren’t fit for walking, much less for autonomous vehicles.”
Some Tweets and Short Thoughts
- Looking forward to The Independent Show in Minneapolis, October 4th-6th by looking back at the sights and sounds from TIS in San Diego #TBT
- New Technology Keeps Seniors on the Move – great volunteer network authored by one of the volunteers, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology at the USDOT, Secretary Diana Furchtgott Roth
- Paul Solsrud, PMP and Cooperative Network Services, LLC have done an amazing job of converting incomprehensible FCC RDOF (Rural Digital Opportunity Fund) data to interactive maps. Based on their analysis, it looks like money will not flow to urban areas in Silicon Valley as reported in a previous issue of the Viodi View.
The Korner – Broadband Built Block-by-Block by Blockchain – Part 2 – 5G
Late last week, the consequences of pending infrastructure legislation cast a pall on parts of the cryptocurrency world. Blockchain pioneer, Charles Hoskinson, Ethereum co-founder and Cardano founder, lamented “I am just deeply sad that maybe the capital of the industry won’t be Wyoming or the United States,” This was prior to the negotiations (CNBC) that seemingly reduced the bills regulatory reach into the blockchain world.
One marker indicating that some investors are feeling optimistic about the Senate bill is today’s announcement of a $111M investment in Helium. The previous issue of the Viodi View discussed Helium in the context of its role as a facilitator and virtual operations engine of a grassroots Internet of Things network.
In this issue, we introduce the concept of Helium as the foundation for a 5G infill network. By using CBRS, Helium could have application in rural areas, as well as underserved indoor locations with poor mobile service. It is early in the game for this nascent technology with many challenges ahead, but it is definitely worth following as it could eventually lead to new approaches to last-mile broadband.
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