Stimulus funding would leverage taxpayer money with private funds and spur investments in technology, networks, and infrastructure. It would create jobs, kick start economic development, and provide long-term benefits to consumers.
A third agency, the Federal Communications Commission or FCC was tapped to analyze broadband data and to draft a National Broadband Plan.
On March 16, the FCC delivered its national broadband vision to Congress.
Anyone who tracked the FCC's information-gathering process over the past year cannot criticize the agency for lack of effort and commitment. The 360-page Connecting Americacame on the heels of 31 public notices and 30 public forums held over a period of 13 months.
The challenge of fitting together the pieces necessary to implement the FCC's broadband vision is daunting. Sustainable broadband strategies must be cemented with sound public policies and prudent decision making. Interestingly, the FCC commissioners did not adopt the National Broadband Plan per se. Rather, they adopted a joint statement acknowledging that while individually they may hold different views on certain recommendations, they share a common set of beliefs, including that the nation must harness the tools of modern communications for future success.
Montana's rural telecom cooperatives concur. Their commitment to broadband began years ago as they made the transition from analog to digital, positioning their networks for the delivery of data and video along with voice.
They were the first in the state of Montana to deploy broadband, initially through DSL technology. By splitting the frequencies of the signals, DSL delivers both voice and data over a single line. The rural telcos could economically deliver broadband over the copper telephone lines already leading into homes and businesses. As demand for broadband grew, they responded by increasing capacity.
Typically, the middle mile transport — the highways for transporting voice and data between different provider networks — is a fiber optic network. Broadband travels over these super highways at lightning speeds.
Additional capacity is gained by adding new electronics or by increasing the number of fiber strands. Montana has multiple middle mile fiber optic networks used and available for satisfying the communications and Internet needs of virtually every subscriber in the state.
The term "last mile" describes the portion of a network that delivers communications from a local telephone company's switching office out to each home or business. More often than not, the "last mile" is a distance far greater than one mile. In rural areas, the last mile connections may extend 10, 20, or even 50-plus miles. The last mile subscribers located farthest from the switching office are the most difficult and costly to serve.
Last mile transport is traditionally provided over copper lines. For several years now, Montana's telephone co-ops have been deploying fiber as they replace outdated copper lines and analog carriers.
Fiber is the technology of choice when upgrading facilities. A supplemental benefit is that fiber is optimal for applications such as telehealth, education, e-commerce, and e-government.
In the most remote areas, rural telcos may provide broadband over technologies such as fixed wireless, Ethernet, or satellite.
Today, an ever-increasing number of rural broadband subscribers in Montana's small communities can confirm broadband opportunities and the commitment of rural providers. If you doubt it, talk to folks in places like Fort Benton, Big Sandy, North Havre, Crow Agency, Eureka, Circle, Opheim, Glentana and Larslan.
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps underscored the importance of broadband when he stated, "Broadband can be the great enabler that restores America's economic well-being and opens doors of opportunity for all Americans to pass through, no matter who they are, where they live, or the particular circumstances of their individual lives."
We agree. Montana's co-ops have established aggressive long-term goals and made firm commitments to extend the reach of broadband.
The FCC's plan has major challenges, including how America will pay for it. It will require significant regulatory and policy changes.
Countless pieces of the telecom puzzle will have to be shuffled, rearranged, discarded, and replaced to realize its goals. As each piece of the puzzle is nudged, the other pieces of the jig-saw must be adjusted to give clarity to the big picture.
It is especially critical that each taxpayer dollar spent in this state to further the nation's broadband goals does not in any way create unintended consequences that would inhibit the ability of Montana's telecom cooperatives to continue their aggressive broadband deployments in rural Montana.
It will not be easy. It will take time and extraordinary hard work. America is at a communications crossroads.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Bonnie Lorang
Quelle/Source: Great Falls Tribune, 19.04.2010
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