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FEATURED SPONSOR: MEET At BBC Summit 2021, we're excited to meet again in person with a focus on rekindling our connections and taking ACTION in a EXHIBITORS: ENGAGE post-pandemic economy. It's about both experienced and new voices driving change, innovation, and evolution in the broadband business to create a more connected future. DO Register now and get ready to DO MORE. NEW FOCUS AREAS & FEATURES Industry Power Players • Up-and-Coming Voices • Legislative Action Entertainment Industry • Roundtable Problem-Solving Sessions Office Hours for Speakers & Industry Leaders $350 Houston2021 Special Discounted Rate: Use VIP Code: To exhibit or sponsor, contact: Irene Prescott at [email protected], or call 505-867-3299 (Save $600 off regular Summit price of $950) Offer expires May 31, 2021 FIBER: TRANSFORMING THE POST-PANDEMIC ECONOMY Secure your position now so that promotion of your participation begins immediately. See who’s already decided to do so: PLATINUM SPONSOR:
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FEATURED SPONSOR: MEET At BBC Summit 2021, we're excited to meet again in person with a focus on rekindling EXHIBITORS: our connections and taking ACTION in a ENGAGE post-pandemic economy. It's about both experienced and new voices driving change, innovation, and evolution in the broadband business to create a more connected future. DO Register now and get ready to DO MORE. NEW FOCUS AREAS & FEATURES Industry Power Players • Up-and-Coming Voices • Legislative Action Entertainment Industry • Roundtable Problem-Solving Sessions Office Hours for Speakers & Industry Leaders $350 Houston2021 Special Discounted Rate: Use VIP Code: To exhibit or sponsor, contact: Irene Prescott at [email protected], or call 505-867-3299 (Save $600 off regular Summit price of $950) Offer expires May 31, 2021 EDITOR’S NOTE Local Broadband Keeps CEO Barbara DeGarmo / [email protected] Community Dollars PUBLISHER Nancy McCain / [email protected] Flowing EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sean Buckley / [email protected] CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Masha Zager / [email protected] EDITOR-AT-LARGE Broadband gives communities an opportunity to stay relevant. Steven S. Ross / [email protected] COPY CHIEF Eli Penberthy / [email protected] hen I think about how gigabit internet and phone service to ADVERTISING SALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE broadband can drive every home and business on the island. Irene Prescott / [email protected] W community economic The networks in these small EVENTS COORDINATOR development and job creation, I recall towns and others like them across the Dennise Argil / [email protected] my job interview with Sean Griffey, country have the potential to improve MULTIFAMILY NEWS CORRESPONDENT former CEO of Fierce Markets. When local business productivity, enable Valerie M. Sargent / [email protected] I asked why most staff in the telecom telecommuting, drive job creation, ART DIRECTOR group worked remotely, his response and entice younger people to stay. Karry Thomas was simple: “I want to attract the They also can draw new residents, CONTRIBUTORS best people.” encourage tourism, and strengthen Rollie Cole, Sagamore Institute for Griffey was ahead of his time in real estate markets. Policy Research understanding that work does not David Daugherty, Clarus Broadband have to be tied to one location. Flash FOCUS ON LOCAL BROADBAND Heather Burnett Gold, HBG Strategies Joanne Hovis, CTC Technology & Energy forward to 2020, when the COVID-19 For all the possibilities broadband Trevor Jones, OTELCO pandemic drove a sharp increase in brings to smaller communities, Michael A. Kashmer, Digital Broadband the number of remote workers who the key challenge is that Tier-1 Programming Consultant now depend on bandwidth-hungry service providers don’t often address W. James MacNaughton, Esq. Christopher Mitchell, Institute for videoconferencing applications, such communities’ unique needs. Local Self-Reliance as Zoom. The Broadband Equity Partnership Bryan Rader, UpStream Network A recent Statista survey revealed found in its national survey of Craig Settles, Gigabit Nation that only 17 percent of respondents community leaders that although worked remotely five days a week before large ISPs received a large portion of BROADBAND PROPERTIES LLC the pandemic, but that figure has since federal funding from programs such as CEO jumped to 44 percent. the Connect America Fund and now Barbara DeGarmo In this issue of Broadband the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, VICE PRESIDENT, Communities – my first as editor-in- respondents favored local, smaller ISPs BUSINESS & OPERATIONS chief – we look at communities using Nancy McCain as potential partners. broadband to keep themselves relevant Dr. Christopher Ali, associate BUSINESS & EDITORIAL OFFICE in an increasingly online world. professor in the department of media BROADBAND PROPERTIES LLC For example, after it could 1909 Avenue G • Rosenberg, TX 77471 studies at the University of Virginia, 281.342.9655 • Fax 281.342.1158 not strike a deal with its two summed it up best during the recent incumbent providers, Bristol, www.broadbandcommunities.com Senate Commerce Committee New Hampshire, launched an broadband hearing: “Local broadband initiative to deliver symmetrical fiber Broadband Communities (ISSN 0745-8711) (USPS 679-050) (Publication is the best broadband.” Indeed. Mail Agreement #1271091) is published 7 times a year at a rate of $24 per year internet to residents and connect By keeping broadband local, by Broadband Properties LLC, 1909 Avenue G, Rosenberg, TX 77471. Periodical businesses, municipal buildings and communities can reinvest savings to postage paid at Rosenberg, TX, and additional mailing offices. educational facilities in the town and POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Broadband Communities, keep community dollars flowing in nearby university. PO Box 303, Congers, NY 10920-9852. their local economies. v CANADA POST: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. Canada Returns Other towns, such as the tourist to be sent to Bleuchip International, PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2. Copyright © 2021 Broadband Properties LLC. All rights reserved. destination New Shoreham, Rhode Island, committed to build an $8 million fiber-to-the-premises network to replace slow DSL and satellite with [email protected]
2 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS
COVER SECTION: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THIS ISSUE 22 National Efforts to Close the Digital Divide PROVIDER Require Local Empowerment / PERSPECTIVE By Ariel Benjamin, Erman Eruz, Danny Fuchs and David Gilford, HR&A Advisors 10 Multifamily Broadband Gets a Shot in the Arm / 26 Broadband Essential to Post-Pandemic Economies / By Bryan J. Rader, Single Digits By Craig Settles, CJ Speaks Broadband remains the glue that holds the multifamily 30 A Fiber Network Spurs a New Northern New Hampshire broadband industry together. Tech Corridor / By Sean Buckley, Broadband Communities CONNECTIVITY 36 Rural Communities Launch Publicly Owned MATTERS Fiber Networks / By Michael A. Solitro, Sertex Broadband Solutions 12 The New Face of Economic Development / 40 A Michigan FTTH Network Rebuild Sets Stage for By Trevor Jones, OTELCO Greater Bandwidth, Smart-City Applications / The pandemic has redefined By Sean Buckley, Broadband Communities economic development for many rural communities.
FEATURES MULTIFAMILY BROADBAND FTTH DEPLOYMENT INDUSTRY ANALYSIS TECHNOLOGY Gigabit Fiber Comes to Los LEO Satellites: A Path to 44 72 How the Pandemic Altos Hills / By Masha Zager, Nowhere? / By Deborah Kish, 14 Created Urgency for Broadband Communities Fiber Broadband Association Smart-Tech Adoption / Pandemic Spurs By Kevin Donnelly, NMHC CONFERENCE COVERAGE 76 and Valerie M. Sargent, Broadband Bump / Broadband Communities 48 INCOMPAS 2021 Policy By Bruce Forey, BroadMax Group Summit Highlights / Seamless connectivity is more By Sean Buckley, Three Big Telco important as intelligent- 78 home needs rise. Broadband Communities Predictions for 2021 / By Pravin S. Bhandarkar, RtBrick PROPERTY OF 80 Can You Trust Your Business THE MONTH Case for Broadband HOT PRODUCTS Closing the Digital Expansion? / By Raj Singh, VCTI 16 56 Broadband Communities’ Divide for Low-Income 20th Annual List of Leading and Special-Needs Broadband Technologies Residents: Main Street and Services Visit www.bbcmag.com for Connect / By Sean Buckley, up-to-the-minute news of broadband trends, technologies and deployments Broadband Communities twitter.com/bbcmag The Maryland apartment complex offers symmetrical TECHNOLOGY 50 Mbps internet. 64 Building Competitive ABOUT THE COVER Advantage with Automation / DEPARTMENTS By Sean Robertson, ADTRAN New York artist Irving Grunbaum EDITOR’S NOTE 66 The Key to Boosting Network and his neighbors 2 Resilience? It’s in the Data / are finding new 6 NEW BEGINNINGS By Gordon Smith, Sagent economic benefits 8 BANDWIDTH HAWK with broadband. 68 G.hn Is Vital to Gigabit 82 MARKETPLACE ADS Broadband Services Rollouts / 84 ADVERTISER INDEX / By Livia Rosu, HomeGrid Forum CALENDAR
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A New Transition
Broadband Communities may be passing the editor torch but will continue to provide insight and perspective on the ever-changing broadband industry segment.
By Masha Zager / Broadband Communities
fter 12 years as editor of Broadband When I wrote my first article for Communities, I have stepped down Broadband Communities (then Broadband A and turned over the reins of the Properties) as a freelancer in 2005, fiber to magazine to my younger, more energetic the home was largely unknown. Companies and very talented editorial colleagues – Sean deploying it – mostly on a very small scale – Buckley, formerly executive editor and now were excited about it. Other people, if they had editor-in-chief, and Eli Penberthy, the copy heard of it at all, dismissed it as unconventional, chief. Founding editor Steve Ross (aka the unproven or, at best, unneeded. Bandwidth Hawk) remains in his current role This magazine was the only publication as editor-at-large; his deep experience and acute in the United States that championed fiber as insights will continue to inspire and inform the the future of broadband. And that wasn’t an editorial team. esoteric technical opinion. We weren’t interested
Masha Zager and Sean Buckley
6 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 in technology for its own sake – or, I feel lucky to have spent these years feasible for more communities in years at any rate, not interested enough to reporting on and advocating for this to come. devote a whole magazine to it. Rather, transition. Playing even a minor role In other words, there’s still plenty for we thought fiber would change the in such a major transformation was a my former colleagues and our authors world. And we were right. great privilege. to write about, and I look forward to Yes, other good broadband options There’s still a long way to go, reading what they have to say. v exist today. But it’s important to of course. Too many people in the remember that they were developed United States and around the world only in response to the challenge lack adequate broadband – and the Masha Zager is a contributing editor that fiber to the home posed. And bar for what constitutes adequate for Broadband Communities. She increasingly, these other technologies broadband keeps being raised. But new previously served as the editor-in-chief of are viewed as steps in the inevitable technologies, new business models and the magazine for 12 years. Contact her at transition to fiber. new financing options will make fiber [email protected].
A HEARTFELT THANKS What a pleasure it has been to have Masha Zager steering the editorial ship at Broadband Communities. Her depth of knowledge of the industry and her ability to explain it are truly remarkable. She has been generous and kind with her advice, and she leaves the magazine in good hands. So cheers, Masha, and thank you. And welcome, Sean and Eli, as you pick up her reins. Masha trained us well for this latest transition. – Barbara DeGarmo, CEO, Broadband Communities
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MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 7 BANDWIDTH HAWK
Get Ready for USDA ReConnect Round Three
As the USDA prepares for a third round of about $600 million in ReConnect rural broadband grants, here’s a detailed look at the results of the first two rounds.
By Steven S. Ross / Broadband Communities
his year will see a third round of rural grants are competitive, loan/grant broadband grants through the USDA combinations are a bit less so, and requests TReConnect Loan and Grant Program. for loans are evaluated as they come in. At the time this article was written, a new • ReConnect does not allow double-dipping permanent director for the USDA’s Rural with USDA money. Applicants already Utilities Service (RUS) was yet to be appointed, receiving FCC grants from the Universal and the program’s rules were yet to be finalized. Services Fund – CAF or the Rural Digital However, we know that roughly $600 million Opportunity Fund (RDOF) – cannot get will be on the table this year, fiber deployments help through ReConnect. account for almost all the previous 165 awards, • Almost any kind of deployer is eligible. and the basic eligibility rules did not change: Local exchange carriers (LECs) dominate. • Areas where at least 90 percent of premises Telephone cooperatives were 16 of the 77 cannot get at least 10/1 Mbps (10 Mbps project winners in 2019 and 20 of the 88 last download speed, 1 Mbps upload speed) year. Electric co-ops won five awards in 2019 are eligible. and nine in 2020. Public carriers – mainly • An applicant must agree to build a network municipal broadband companies – dropped capable of at least 25/3 Mbps, and the from seven in 2019 to just three in 2020, scoring system favors faster speeds. perhaps due to COVID-19 pressures. Three • Grants require that deployers put up 25 tribal carriers won ReConnect awards – one percent of the funds needed to deploy, but in 2019 and two in 2020. that money can come from state or local For the USDA, strong local support helps, so grants if local officials allow it. ReConnect now is the time to start generating it. This year, there is an extra reason: A staggering third of $1 trillion for state and local infrastructure of all kinds (including broadband) was authorized and appropriated in the latest COVID-19 Generate local support for broadband now. relief package. But broadband advocates and deployers will be competing against other A third of $1 trillion was appropriated in the infrastructure and subsidy needs: roads, transit, latest COVID-19 stimulus. But broadband is schools, health and more. Some new funding is meant for specialized competing against other needs. purposes, such as telehealth. Broadband
8 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 deployers will work mainly through As money has become more 21 last year. There were ultimately five local officials, not federal agencies. available through normal banking and outright loans in 2019, and just four There will be more on that in upcoming investment channels at low interest in 2020. The interest rate is 2 percent. issues of Broadband Communities. rates, prospective deployers knocking Indeed, four of the 31 combo winners ReConnect itself is not a small on the doors of the RUS have become in 2019 turned down the loan part and program. In 2020, it awarded $675 far more interested in outright grants. borrowed elsewhere. Even more did so million in grants and loans, up from Sixty-three competitive grants were in 2020. v the first round’s $663 million in 2019. awarded through ReConnect in 2020, There were 113,000 premises passed up from 44 in the first round. Grant/ Editor-at-large Steve Ross can be reached with that money in 2020, compared loan combos fell from 31 in 2019 to at [email protected]. with 161,000 in 2019. Thus, what the USDA spent to pass a home, business or community asset, such as a school or police station, rose from about $4,100 to almost $6,000. LEARN MORE That would be expected as the Need more detail? Download our complete tables – one for easier, more justifiable projects tend to ReConnect 2019 and one for 2020, including 11 winners with extra be approved in earlier rounds whenever ReConnect funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic federal or state money is on the table. Security (CARES) Act. Each awardee is listed by type of award, Indeed, the average project density fell amount, location, premises served – and more. to nine premises per square mile in Find them here: 2020, from 10.4 in 2019. The largest www.bbcmag.com/pub/doc/Mar21_Hawk-Table1.xlsx and single project included more than www.bbcmag.com/pub/doc/Mar21_Hawk-Table2.xlsx 9,800 premises in 2020, less than half the largest project in 2019 (22,600). I am unclear about premises per route mile, as COVID-19 has kept me from deep dives in U.S. Geological Survey mapping data.
NOTABLE ODDITIES I did notice some oddities. A half-dozen projects originally approved in 2019 and listed in Broadband Communities tables for the first 54 projects (in the March–April 2020 issue: www.bbcmag. com/community-broadband/fiber- dominates-first-batch-of-reconnect- awards) are no longer listed for 2019 by the USDA. Three did carry over into the second round. Project areas originally listed in the first 54 often narrowed as deployments progressed. All this suggests that the RUS director at the time, Chad Rupe, and his staff did a good job monitoring deployment progress and holding grantees’ feet to the fire. The RUS did not stray from its vision either. Almost all projects started out promising fiber networks and, so far, have ended up that way. Of 165, fewer than a half-dozen are fixed wireless or hybrid fiber coax or fiber with a mix of other technologies.
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 9 PROVIDER PERSPECTIVE Multifamily Broadband Gets a Shot in the Arm
Broadband remains the glue that holds the multifamily broadband industry together.
By Bryan J. Rader / Single Digits
ave you received your broadband vaccination yet? MDU service industry provides connects everything they do – Well, I think the multifamily broadband industry from connecting their residents in amenity spaces, to aiding Hjust got it, and it didn’t even have to wait in line, virtual leasing tours, to managing sensors in vacant units. scour different websites to get an appointment or pull the age Networks are the key to effectively renting, managing and card. Nope – the industry got the shot, and you can see the servicing today’s multifamily communities. And that’s not results everywhere you look. going away anytime soon. Look around the industry right now. Many “back to Many property owners have told me that internet service is business” signs are popping up. If this pandemic taught us the most important service they provide. Property managers tell anything, it’s that multifamily providers offer one of the me they don’t want to go to work if there’s some type of outage, products most crucial to consumers. Every day, multifamily fearing a line of residents waiting outside the clubhouse. The providers connect seniors so they can talk to their doctors, National Multifamily Housing Council reports that, according kids so they can go to school, and parents so they can work to studies of resident preferences, high-speed broadband is the remotely. It’s not an overstatement to say that multifamily top amenity their members provide. providers are the glue holding society together. INDUSTRY BOOST I’m not taking anything away from the vaccine Another way to gauge the boost the multifamily broadband manufacturers and pharma companies that found a medical industry is experiencing is to look at the number of companies solution in less than a year. But the broadband industry announcing new investments or recent acquisitions. The should realize how important multifamily providers have industry has never seen this much activity before. Consider all become in the contemporary digital world. the requests for proposals being sent out by consultants with Roll up your shirt sleeve for a moment. requests for bulk managed Wi-Fi or bulk fiber internet. They all point to future success for the industry. INDEPENDENTS STEP UP Years ago, the FCC conducted a competitive study on Independent broadband companies are deploying exciting the size of the multifamily broadband industry’s share of new platforms for multiple-dwelling-unit (MDU) the market. At the time, the multifamily market’s biggest communities everywhere: managed Wi-Fi networks, fiber to product was pay TV, and the FCC said the industry segment the home (FTTH) and fixed wireless. Broadband providers had between 1.5 and 2 million users. Today, if the FCC did that serve MDUs are seeing speeds 20 times faster than the the same study, and counted broadband, it would find that FCC “high-speed” requirements, and solutions for all types multifamily providers certainly have more than doubled of users. This is the evolution of a business that once had their market share in the past decade. That’s right – doubled. the informal motto: “Connect a T-1 line near the leasing This is share that used to go to the big cable and telco folks. office, and open up the internet gates for all residents.” Not Not anymore. anymore. Multifamily providers have grown into world-class This momentum feels similar to the reopening spirit providers of internet solutions. businesses are experiencing across the United States today. Have you recently seen a social media post from someone Entrepreneurs now relish the indoor seating, greater capacity, who just saw a grandparent for the first time in a year? It’s and fewer restrictions around their places of business. This is one of the most heartwarming kinds of videos. This is the great to see. same experience multifamily providers get when an industry The multifamily industry got there a little earlier than company raises a new round of funding or closes a big the rest of the economy. Its “broadband vaccination” already portfolio of apartment communities with a new client. gave the industry the shot in the arm the segment needed. I The multifamily industry has seen cycles like this before, think the independent providers are in a healthy spot moving forward. Don’t you agree? but they haven’t always lasted awfully long. And this time, I OK, you can roll your sleeve back down. v don’t think the industry will need a booster shot to address another new variant of the virus. This time is different. Why? For one, apartment owners Bryan Rader is the president of UpStream Network, a Single and real estate developers recognize that the product the Digits company. He can be reached at [email protected].
10 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 in memoriam bob vogelsang
Broadband Communities notes with great sadness the passing of our Board Chairman, Bob Vogelsang. His leadership, guidance and vision have been instrumental in the success of our industry for decades.
A pioneer in the private cable industry, Bob’s firsts include: the first programming distributor for the private and wireless cable industry and founder of the first hotel pay-per-view company.
He also founded Global Exposition Holdings, an international trade show company that developed conferences around the world covering the pay-TV and interactive services industries. And he purchased and headed Private Cable and Wireless Cable, the technology magazine and trade show that today are Broadband Communities, the leading source of information on digital and broadband technologies for connected communities.
Bob will be remembered for his love of his hometown, Rosenberg, Texas, where he and his wife, Marcia, who survives him, were known as tireless promoters of the community’s historic downtown area. He held a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas and an MBA from the University of Dallas.
Robert ‘Bob’ Louis Vogelsang September 18, 1943 – February 17, 2021 CONNECTIVITY MATTERS The New Face of Economic Development
The pandemic has redefined economic development for many rural communities.
By Trevor Jones / OTELCO
raditionally, the goal of economic development has This trend toward remote work may change the way towns been to bring large employers to a community. These and cities look at future economic development. Rather than T employers provide jobs and bear more of the tax burden starting by trying to attract employers, it may soon be more so that more families come to town. Done well, this leads to effective to start with residents. Consider what will happen if a healthy cycle of growth for a community. The tools of this those remote employees who moved into rural areas are able to mode of economic development have been industrial parks, maintain their remote work environment after the pandemic is highways and public utilities such as water and electricity. over. They will begin to patronize local restaurants, shops and That may be changing. I live in Maine, a very rural state service providers. This will create jobs and fuel local economies. with an aging, shrinking population. Apart from its well- Economies such as Maine’s, which enjoys a healthy tourist known tourism industry, the Maine economy is driven largely component, also will benefit from the increased capacity for by small businesses and cottage industries, and the state has remote work. Seasonal residents able to work remotely can known for years that better broadband is an essential tool for spend more time in their vacation homes. Some may even these industries to succeed. make their residency permanent, although here in Maine that Maine’s leaders also know that work will soon become less may require hardy souls. location-specific for many people. At the ribbon cutting for a community network in Rockport, Maine, almost seven years ENABLING RURAL BUSINESS LOCATIONS ago, Sen. Angus King said, “For the first time in history, people The migration to rural communities will also make it possible can work where they live instead of living where they work.” to start businesses in rural communities where it might not Though King’s words may have been true for some then, have been feasible before because availability of talent is they have become significantly more so now thanks to the now much less of an issue. When skilled professional staff disruptive influence of a major global pandemic that rapidly can work from anywhere, it’s no longer necessary to place forced remote work into the mainstream. primary offices where there are large numbers of available workers. In addition, skilled professionals who will form the RISE OF REMOTE WORK basis for these future organizations are already distributing COVID-19 has driven remote work forward like nothing themselves to rural communities where they will start their ever has before. According to Statista, only 17 percent of own businesses or join local operations in the future. respondents worked remotely five days a week before the If it’s true that the economic development of the future pandemic. After the pandemic, that number increased to starts with people rather than businesses, then the tools that 44 percent. Many of those people have now been working drive economic development will change. Instead of industrial remotely for a year or more, and those of us who are hiring parks and transportation, the focus will be on broadband, know that prospective employees now want and expect the schools and quality of life. option to work remotely. Personally, I’m excited at the prospect of what might Here in Maine, that means that people “from away” are happen when leaders at the local level focus more on making starting to move here, lured by the state’s open spaces and communities great places to live than on bringing in the next quality of life. Real estate prices have skyrocketed because big employer. v demand exceeds supply in much of the state – at least in those areas with good broadband connectivity. Meanwhile, news outlets report an exodus from major cities. A recent article Trevor Jones is vice president of marketing, sales and customer in The Atlantic noted that rents are falling rapidly in pricey service for OTELCO, which owns independent telephone companies coastal “superstar cities,” and migration is taking people away in seven states and partners with several community networks in from populous states to more rural locales. Massachusetts. Contact him at [email protected].
12 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021
MULTIFAMILY BROADBAND TECHNOLOGY
How the Pandemic Created Urgency for Smart-Tech Adoption
The importance of seamless connectivity is amplified as broadband and intelligent- home needs rise.
By Kevin Donnelly / NMHC and Valerie M. Sargent / Broadband Communities
he pre-pandemic world had apartment operators evaluating the ROI of deploying nice-to-have smart tech across testing the smart-home waters, thinking about their portfolios to quickly deploying tech critical to successfully Twhat solutions might work best for their companies and safely operating their buildings during the pandemic. and communities. They found themselves examining the potential return on investment (ROI) and benefits of smart PANDEMIC’S EFFECT ON SMART-TECH ADOPTION tech, both for their residents’ overall satisfaction and for Access control took off like a rocket as the pandemic put operational efficiencies regarding preventive maintenance and fuel in the smart-tech rocket ship. In-person touring had to asset protection. change quickly, and communities found that they had to This steady, thoughtful deliberation was highjacked and introduce virtual tours or lose prospects. Properties needed suddenly thrust full-speed ahead when the pandemic hit. increased video capability and premises monitoring to provide Suddenly, multifamily owners found themselves searching heightened security and control access to newly restricted for tech-related solutions that residents and prospects were amenity spaces in the wake of government orders. demanding. “Cool” features that were just an idea for the There was also an urgent and continuing desire to meet future quickly became must-haves. resident and prospect expectations by making cleanliness Certainly, some smart-home technologies were adopted central to property operations. “Clean is the new green” became pre-pandemic. Features such as touchless controls for doors, a common phrase for multifamily operators, with many people touchless elevators, access control, smart thermostats and smart expecting more and even some drawing a red line if there were lighting mostly were adopted in Class A and B properties and not fresh air systems or ultraviolet air purifiers in place. in certain geographic areas more than others. But these things Most important, all the existing and new smart tech quickly became more critical for communities of all ages and deployed relied on and was controlled by buildings’ telecom sizes when COVID-19 came to town. Owners went from infrastructures. This demand was matched by a surge in resident use of networks as stay-at-home orders turned multifamily communities into round-the-clock offices, schools and entertainment hubs. This massive shift worked for communities that had a dependable connectivity Many in the multifamily industry backbone in place and enough capacity, ultimately enabling the deployment of intelligent building amenities. Property often take a wait-and-see attitude owners and their provider partners have deployed various ways of doing this, all with the understanding that a seamless, with new technology, wondering always-on network is critical, whether built from the ground which tech has staying power and up or rehabbed and upgraded along the way. Smart tech goes beyond residents’ apartments and in many will be the best to implement. ways is more exciting and a bigger value add for multifamily
14 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 operators. Intelligent building platforms and products There are several future trends to have the potential to offer energy-saving technologies and monitoring systems that can help with preventive and keep an eye on, including artificial predictive maintenance needs when looking at smart lights, leak detections, smart thermostats and such. Cool tech really intelligence technologies that has the potential to be a game changer for multifamily in could fuel property operations allowing owners to gain significant operational and insurance cost savings. and more ubiquitous facial INDUSTRY CHALLENGES REMAIN recognition technologies that A successful smart-tech strategy at the property level relies on high-quality, always-on connectivity. However, the reality is could control property access. that some broadband connectivity challenges could prevent optimal performance or the benefits of some of this tech. Different segments of the market are ahead of the curve because they have had the ability to invest more resources operators and smart-tech suppliers on what ultimately makes in connectivity than others. Smaller, more rural, affordable an investment worth it. or senior properties often have fewer revenue opportunities for broadband providers, and owners must carry the BROADBAND AND CONNECTIVITY ARE CENTRAL infrastructure costs on their own. This makes it less likely As owners have leaned into smart-home capabilities, ongoing for some communities to deploy all the bells and whistles of seamless connectivity has become even more important. smart-home technologies or to future-proof with processes Coupled with how essential broadband has become to daily such as conduit installs. It is easy to proactively include life during the COVID-19 pandemic, the broadband industry these technologies in a new-build project, building out extra is set to increase its heavy prioritization of high-quality, space for cabling to prepare for what comes next. For older reliable networks across multifamily communities. Despite communities or those with more limited budgets, however, it the focus and urgency in that space, overall connectivity is can be a big capital expenditure. incredibly important. The availability and affordability of Other potential challenges are the regular maintenance, traditional telecom products, such as wired phone service and software updates, security and privacy protections that video offerings, and the strength and reliability of cellular smart technology requires because it is connected to people’s service at the property level remain important aspects of phones or a building’s other systems. Smart-tech management apartment operators’ ability to attract and retain residents. platforms have emerged, but some owners remain hesitant; There are several future trends to keep an eye on. Prime some say they would forgo some smart technologies to avoid examples are emerging artificial intelligence technologies the headache of maintaining them. Even when an owner is that could fuel property operations and more ubiquitous willing to take the leap into a full embrace of smart tech, facial recognition technologies that could control property there is always a huge concern over life span and whether the access. There are benefits and questions to these and other investment made today will be in a technology or product technologies centered around network security and privacy. that is irrelevant in just a few short years. The industry will need to take these issues seriously as an In multifamily, an investment made today needs to have emerging patchwork of consumer privacy protections spread a considerable runway to be worth the effort. Many in the across the country. However, strong consumer demand for multifamily industry often take a wait-and-see attitude with these technologies will draw residents in and enhance resident new technology, wondering which tech has staying power and retention, forcing multifamily firms and suppliers to find will be the best to implement. A developmental pipeline can solutions that fit. be so long that what may be cool and different today could If those in the multifamily industry learned anything become obsolete tomorrow. This is where many owners were in during the past year, it’s that the industry can be nimble their thought processes before the pandemic. and pivot easily, adjusting and adapting along the way and embracing new ideas and technologies while reinvesting in A prime example is voice-enabled devices. At the outset of v owners’ dipping their toes in the waters of cool, smart-home existing tech, such as broadband networks. tech, devices such as Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home were easy and cheap enough to deploy, but as brand loyalty among Kevin Donnelly is vice president of government affairs for the residents rose, the owner-installed devices often went unused. National Multifamily Housing Council and can be reached at Certainly, voice-enabled tech has a lot of room to grow, and [email protected]. Valerie M. Sargent is a multifamily speaker, consumer demand for these devices makes them an important trainer and executive consultant and is the multifamily news piece of the smart-home puzzle for multifamily, just not the correspondent for Broadband Communities. Contact her at easy, quick fix that many thought it would be at the outset. [email protected]. For more information, visit www.nmhc.org, In the end, it serves as a lesson for both multifamily owners/ www.bbcmag.com or www.valeriemsargent.com.
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 15 PROPERTY OF THE MONTH
Closing the Digital Divide for Low-Income and Special-Needs Residents: Main Street Connect
Main Street Connect is a new apartment complex in Montgomery County, Maryland, that offers symmetrical 50 Mbps internet services and digital training for low-income and special-needs residents via a partnership with the county government’s Department of Technology Services. Broadband Communities thanks Joseph Webster, the department’s chief broadband officer in the Office of Broadband Programs; Marjorie Williams, the department’s broadband, cable and franchise division manager; and Pierre Trudeau, CTO of Positron, for helping compile this profile.
By Sean Buckley / Broadband Communities
hen Jillian and Scott Copeland By providing MoCoNet’s service at low or began looking for long-term housing no cost to Main Street Connect community W where their son, Nicolas, who has members, the county aims to promote digital developmental disabilities, could thrive, they equity. Digital equity means everyone has equal found very few options. Hoping to help other access to the technology necessary to participate families facing a similar challenge, the Copelands in all aspects of society. For low-income founded Main Street Connect in 2017. Their mission: to create affordable, inclusive housing households especially, access to the internet can that offers residents of all abilities dynamic be a burden when added to the costs of rent, opportunities and community engagement. child care, food and other necessary expenses. The Rockville, Maryland, apartment complex Qualifying residents of Main Street Connect opened in August 2020. Today, 25 percent of the apartments may choose between MoCoNet, building’s 70 units are allocated for adults with Comcast or Verizon for internet service. disabilities, and the remaining 75 percent offer MoCoNet is free for eligible residents; Comcast affordable housing options for all. and Verizon charge for their services. The Montgomery County Department of “When we contacted the developers about Technology Services provides symmetrical providing robust internet access for residents speeds of 50 Mbps and internet bandwidth to support Wi-Fi service in all public areas in in their units, they were very interested,” the building via its internet service network, says Joseph Webster, chief broadband officer MoCoNet. The service includes Wi-Fi coverage, in the Office of Broadband Programs at online security, parental and access controls, the Montgomery County Department of and 24/7 customer service. Technology Services.
16 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 Main Street Connect is a 70-unit apartment building in Rockville, Maryland, that houses special-needs and low-income residents. The Montgomery County department of technology services provides 50 Mbps internet via MoCoNet as part of its commitment to digital equity.
COUNTY NETWORK TIE-IN MPLS network that serves the greater people and educating them about how The idea of establishing MoCoNet to Montgomery County suburban to leverage internet and digital services. extend affordable broadband to Main community and metro over the past 20 “Gail, our Department of Street Connect is rooted in Montgomery years, the county is in the process of Technology Services, and my team in County’s FiberNet network. upgrading to what it calls its “third- the Office of Broadband Programs all FiberNet enables the county to generation network.” have an interest in digital equity,” says provide voice, data, video and Wi-Fi About a year ago, Montgomery Webster. “The county has been doing a services to county departments, offices County appointed Gail Roper as chief number of things, including providing and agencies. The network also serves information officer. She shares a passion free Wi-Fi in our 22 libraries, county the county’s 911 center and connects for bringing internet services to more buildings and senior centers.” 220 K–12 public schools, the schools’ data center, FiberNet’s data center and several other commercial data centers. It also serves agencies not directly tied to county government, including PROPERTY OF THE MONTH HIGHLIGHTS planning, sewer control and others. ~ Main Street Connect ~ The 600-route-mile fiber network enables Montgomery County to • 70-unit property for low-income and special-needs residents modernize communications services, • 50 Mbps symmetrical services for all units including expanding broadband • Digital literacy training capacity necessary to support increased • Choice of three providers: MoCoNet, Verizon Fios and Comcast usage of wireless devices within • Wi-Fi motion detection workplaces and public spaces and the • Online security transition to IP-based public safety • Parental and access controls communication services. • 24/7 customer service Having built a Cisco-based
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 17 PROPERTY OF THE MONTH
Comcast and Verizon previously installed facilities to provide internet services and video to Main Street Connect apartments. The walls were up and the building’s wiring was already in place by the time Montgomery County got involved in the project in early 2020, so the Department of Technology Services could not install its own wiring, which it does in county buildings. “The situation left us a little bit challenged because typically we would use Cat 6 wiring and provide Active Ethernet service,” Webster says. “Fortunately, I came across Positron at Broadband Communities’ economic development conference in October 2019.” Leveraging the coax network and the equipment from these vendors, Montgomery County developed MoCoNet, which offers 50 symmetrical The common areas of the apartment building have Wi-Fi courtesy of MoCoNet. to all residents who want it. “The criteria to get the service is very easy: it could be a special-needs County’s Housing Opportunity apartment and/or an affordable unit,” Commission (HOC). Webster says. “There are about 10 “Historically, we have only provided apartments at Main Street that are Wi-Fi in common areas or meeting market rate, which means they would rooms at HOC properties. While it is not qualify, but the rest do. We’re better than nothing, it is not ideal,” providing only internet access.” Webster says. “The goal was to find Residents can choose to use a proof-of-concept project where we MoCoNet and Verizon, but they could extend internet directly into can’t use Comcast and MoCoNet people’s living spaces.” because the two providers can’t use But carrying out this mission is the coax simultaneously. easier said than done. FiberNet had to Positron provides the broadband wade through myriad laws that in many access equipment necessary for The floorplan of Main Street Connect residents to connect to Montgomery apartments cases prohibit municipal broadband. “More than half of states have County’s free internet. restrictions or outright prohibitions on The vendor’s G.hn access community broadband or municipal multiplexer (GAM) family can deliver EXTENDING BROADBAND TO broadband,” Webster says. “Fortunately, near-symmetrical gigabit internet access LIVING SPACES we don’t have that issue in Maryland, to subscribers in multiple-dwelling- Providing free Wi-Fi in public spaces so there are no state regulations or unit (MDU) buildings over existing is just one element of Montgomery restrictions on a city’s or locality’s telephone or coaxial infrastructure. County’s desire to help people access ability to provide internet directly.” “Positron’s GAM is perfectly suited the internet. With the advent of for this situation,” Webster says. “The COVID-19, the Department of ENHANCING BROADBAND fiber was installed by Verizon, and the Technology Services started looking for OPTIONS coax was paid for and controlled by projects to extend internet services into In Montgomery County, residents the developer, so Positron’s equipment people’s living spaces. and businesses can access broadband allowed us to leverage the existing coax.” Today, FiberNet has fiber services from Verizon Fios and The two other key partners were connected to several affordable housing Comcast. RCN also offers services in Plume and Cisco. Plume provides its developments through Montgomery some pockets of the county. Wi-Fi software, HomePass, which is
18 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 delivered through the Plume Cloud, the The Montgomery County Department of Plume app and SuperPods. “Plume was an important partner, Technology Services provides free internet and Cisco provided free routing and switching equipment as part of this service to eligible residents via its network, digital equity project,” Webster says. MoCoNet. Residents can get video and data “We had three important technology partners.” from Comcast and Verizon Fios for a fee. Though MoCoNet is not using Plume for IoT and building management applications, such as monitoring leaks and heating, it has tapped into Plume Motion, a Wi-Fi in the Department of Technology Demographics: Low-income and sensing application. Plume Motion Services, says that although COVID-19 special-needs residents detects disturbances in Wi-Fi signals puts a damper on implementing a Greenfield or retrofit? Greenfield between its pods or between a pod training program for residents, it’s a Number of units: 70 and a motion-capable device. These necessary service. disturbances in the signal are translated “We are hoping to partner with Style (High-rise/mid-rise/garden): into Plume Motion events, which Main Street to provide training on how Mid-rise residents can use to detect activity in to use devices and find some partners Time to deploy: 90 days their homes. to provide devices such as laptop “Residents can download the app computers and tablets,” Williams Date services started being delivered: on their phones, and if there’s a human says. “Many residents are using just September 2020 walking around in their apartments, smartphones, but we want to help them Special property requirements: it sends a phone notification,” Webster get out into the community.” Providing symmetrical data rates says. “For some residents, family Many of Main Street’s residents of 50 Mbps-plus (upload and members who are not in the building are around 22 years old, so the agency download) to support Wi-Fi service with them could say 'My family would also provide training on how to in all eligible living units in the member is up and walking around, and look for jobs online and write résumés. building. The ability to increase the I know they are OK.’” “Main Street Connect wants to user bandwidth profile on demand. Main Street Connect is the first work with us to provide that training,” complex where MoCoNet is piloting Williams says. “We just feel like in an LESSONS LEARNED its symmetrical service, but it won’t be environment like this, it would be hard What was the biggest challenge? the last. to train them remotely. They really Although the developers always “Main Street was our first foray need hands-on support.” planned to offer commercial/paid into providing service inside people’s The agency plans to offer similar internet services to residents of Main living spaces,” Webster says. “We refer digital literacy education at the next Street Connect apartments, by the to it as a proof of concept, where we apartment complex it plans to serve, time Montgomery County was are trialing vendors like Positron to which is a senior living facility. aware of the development, the walls maintain and operate it.” He adds “We will be providing digital literacy and ceilings were already up, and the agency is looking for other MDU education, but it will be a different the painting had already begun, so opportunities in Montgomery County. angle,” Williams says. “We’ll help it was too late to run Ethernet cable “The goal is now to extend it to residents learn how to get food delivered, for traditional commercial access other affordable living units in the order prescriptions, and conduct points. This left wireless mesh as the county,” Webster says. “MDUs make videoconferencing with their doctors. only realistic option for high-quality, the most sense because they bring the We’ll be tailoring our program based on in-apartment Wi-Fi in all units. biggest bang for the buck.” each community that we’re considering.” Although the county had also been FOCUS ON DIGITAL INCLUSION providing free or low-cost internet VITAL STATISTICS Providing broadband access is just one service to residents in libraries benefit MoCoNet provides. MoCoNet Property Description: Main Street and other public spaces for some also will offer training on how to access Connect offers a unique model of time, significant challenges existed the internet and use devices through a affordable, inclusive community with this project from a timing, partnership with Main Street. living and engagement for residents technology and support perspective. Marjorie Williams, the broadband, and non-resident members so people What was the biggest success? cable and franchise division manager of all abilities can live their best lives. The ability to use the existing coax
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 19 PROPERTY OF THE MONTH
cabling to offer a fiber-like user complex, for low-income residents, is service providers? Yes, residents experience to residents. The Plume not fully occupied, but the property can choose their network service HomePass Wi-Fi service suite also manager says free 50 Mbps internet provider. access is a big selling point. provides a valuable set of features Is the point of contact for resident and capabilities that go well beyond SERVICES technical support the property traditional Wi-Fi routers and access- manager, the service provider point equipment. Services: The network offers symmetrical 50 Mbps internet or a third party? The community What feedback does the leasing/ access to all apartment units. technology team in the Montgomery sales office get from residents/ County government’s Office of Provider choice: guests? What has the experience Eligible residents have Broadband Programs helps residents the option to purchase MoCoNet, taught them about marketing, with initial installation and set-up Comcast Xfinity or Verizon Fios installing or supporting these of the service and downloading/ services? Residents love having services. MoCoNet provides internet access, but residents can get activation of the Plume app. Once high-speed internet. Main Street the service is up and running, all Connect likes it because it’s a selling video and data from Comcast and Verizon Fios. resident technical support is handled point to attract residents. The part by Plume and its 24/7 support Do additional service providers of the building that houses disabled center. Residents who subscribe residents is already fully occupied. operate separate broadband networks on the same property? to MoCoNet service are given a The parents of young-adult, special- refrigerator magnet with Plume’s needs residents are grateful and Yes, Comcast Xfinity and Verizon 24/7 toll-free customer-support can’t wait for training on how to Fios are also available to all units in number at initial installation and use the internet and devices to start the building. service set-up. because they want their kids to be On the network described, can independent. The other part of the residents choose among multiple BUSINESS Which parts of the network are owned by the service provider, and which parts are owned by the property owner? Internal wiring to the units is owned by the developer; the rest is owned by the service provider. Is there a marketing agreement with the property owner? No.
TECHNOLOGY Broadband architecture: The building has fiber and coax. MoCoNet uses the existing coax wiring. Technology/medium used to deliver signals to each unit: The network leverages Ethernet over the existing coax wiring. MoCoNet provides Wi-Fi in the living units and in common areas. Vendors/products • Positron (G.hn broadband access equipment) • Plume (Wi-Fi software, access points) • Cisco (routers and switches) v
Sean Buckley is the editor-in-chief of Broadband Communities. He can be reached at [email protected].
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National Efforts to Close the Digital Divide Require Local Empowerment
Findings from a survey of more than 120 state and local leaders confirm a need for investment in broadband infrastructure nationwide and a new approach to funding deployment.
By Ariel Benjamin, Erman Eruz, Danny Fuchs and David Gilford / HR&A Advisors
niversal broadband is the 21st for investments in broadband infrastructure century equivalent of electrification, nationwide and a new approach to funding Ufoundational to equity and economic for broadband deployment: 88 percent of prosperity in urban and rural communities respondents ranked fiber deployment among alike. As the Biden-Harris administration their communities’ highest priorities for and Congress consider the most ambitious investment. Beyond physical infrastructure, infrastructure funding bills since the New Deal, subscription subsidies, digital literacy and states and localities have a once-in-a-generation inclusion programs are the highest-priority opportunity to close the digital divide. investments. Communities understand that The Broadband Equity Partnership closing the digital divide requires not only conducted a national survey of state and local closing the infrastructure gap but also the leaders, asking them about their priorities for affordability and adoption gaps. a national broadband stimulus. More than 120 respondents provided insights into their CHANGING FINANCING APPROACHES investment and policy preferences, current and To close the digital divide, the federal approach desired partners, confidence in deployment to distributing funds needs to change. mechanisms, and community connection Respondents have the highest confidence in the challenges. Respondents hail from 18 states abilities of local internet service providers (ISPs) across the country, including localities that and local economic development agencies to use vote across the political spectrum. They federal funds to close the digital divide. represent small towns, big cities, state and National ISPs historically have been the local economic development and IT agencies, primary benefactors of federal funding for utility companies, nonprofit organizations and broadband. Time and again, however, these educational institutions – many at different companies fail to deliver infrastructure where stages of implementing broadband plans. it is needed. Survey respondents expressed The respondents are diverse but aligned greater confidence in more local, smaller in their investment needs. As the federal ISPs as potential partners to develop tailored government prepares to allocate hundreds infrastructure solutions through federal of billions of dollars for historic investments funding: less than 25 percent of respondents in infrastructure as part of post-COVID-19 had confidence in national ISPs’ abilities to recovery efforts, the survey confirms a need use any future federal funds to close the digital
22 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 divide, and a majority were confident in States and local governments Several respondents successfully local or community-based ISPs’ abilities want to determine their broadband used funding from 2020’s CARES Act to do so. futures, which will require changes to fund broadband initiatives, despite As one respondent pointed out, in federal funding distribution and challenging implementation timelines. “The best local organizations to do program standards. Respondents call Future infrastructure legislation in this work are often not successful at for funding dispersal at the state and support of the Biden-Harris Build Back obtaining federal funds, which go local levels, with the flexibility to Better Recovery Plan is poised to deliver to the larger national companies. deploy that funding to directly support historic, longer-term investments in However, given their lack of [local] their own priorities. infrastructure and should continue in knowledge, [the larger ISPs] are often Communities are asking for more the direction set by the earlier measures. unsuccessful at expanding access.” accountability on how ISPs spend EMPOWERING LOCAL Indeed, communities see public funding. If the existing service COMMUNITIES broadband as a crosscutting economic provision definitions are retained, ISPs Empowering local communities to development issue rather than can fulfill requirements with buildouts siloed as information technology close the digital divide requires that do not address community needs. or infrastructure. Overwhelmingly, meaningful policy changes that Communities so far have had little say respondents see local economic complement new approaches to federal in the way national ISPs spend federal development agencies as capable funding distribution. funds to build out infrastructure. implementation partners: 70 percent Broadband is already an essential This results in buildouts in places where of respondents are confident in these utility and should be classified as ISPs want to build while retaining entities’ abilities to use federal funds such. Fifty percent of survey effectively in closing the digital divide. private ownership. respondents identified either utility Local governments’ other ideal At the same time, more than half of classification or municipal ISP partners depend on the unique state-level agency respondents indicated authority as a high priority for policy challenges they face. For some, that they have “investment-ready” change for their communities. cooperation with state agencies on broadband plans but lack funding. The Many respondents seek broadband broadband plans is essential for overall COVID-19 relief-focused $1.9 trillion utility classification and the removal support and matching communities American Rescue Plan dedicates $350 of policies impeding the public sector’s with the right federal or state programs billion in assistance to state, local and ability to provide infrastructure and and private sector or institutional tribal governments and territories, service, including becoming municipal partners. For others, the most effective and $10 billion for a new Coronavirus ISPs. These policy changes would partners are state public utility Capital Projects Fund. These funds can increase leverage for local governments commissions (PUCs). Some local be spent flexibly, and investments in when partnering with third-party ISPs, governments already do or wish to expanding broadband infrastructure or set regulations around subscription operate as municipal ISPs themselves. service are eligible uses. prices and service requirements (such as
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 23 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT net neutrality), increase access to utility satisfactory buildout plans. Some that initiate early partnerships and plan rights of way and provide more options echoed the words of a respondent who for shovel-ready projects will be better for direct household subsidies. said, “The RDOF should be completely positioned to spend federal funds once Respondents noted opportunities revamped or eliminated. Optimally, the available. A century ago, electrifying for greater impact from existing funds should go to the state/counties the country was a long-term process federal broadband programs, including for specific targeting.” requiring coordinated federal and local the FCC’s E-Rate Program, which Rural localities are also held back action; achieving universal broadband reduces connectivity costs for schools by broadband service definitions access wiil be similar. For local officials and libraries. Extending eligibility and their misalignment with the and national policymakers alike, to anchor institutions would enable connectivity realities of those decisions made now will shape more greater connectivity within their communities. In federal maps that than just the nation’s infrastructure for surrounding neighborhoods. determine eligibility for grants such as decades to come. v Rural local governments face the RDOF, many communities additional challenges that require that experience infrastructure and significant policy changes. Through service gaps are mapped as having Ariel Benjamin, Danny Fuchs and David the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund satisfactory service, rendering their Gilford are co-founders of the Broadband (RDOF), the FCC is using a reverse digital divides invisible. Equity Partnership, a consultancy and auction mechanism to direct up to Localities cannot afford to wait. program management team powered by $20.4 billion over 10 years to finance Although the national stimulus HR&A Advisors and CTC Technology & broadband networks in unserved rural survey provides lessons for federal Energy. Erman Eruz is a senior analyst areas. Communities note that RDOF government programs, we hope that with HR&A Advisors. The Broadband recipients often are not adequately communities are energized by the Equity Partnership survey was originally evaluated on their financial and urgency of the moment. As with the published by the Benton Institute for technical capabilities and do not have CARES Act funding, communities Broadband and Society.
24 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Broadband Essential to Post-Pandemic Economies
The results of a new survey of economic development experts indicate the changing role and value of broadband and digital technology as development tools.
By Craig Settles / CJ Speaks
ast March, when schools and offices company SizeUp provided sources of economic closed seemingly overnight to slow the developers to survey. Lspread of COVID-19, the seriousness and Here are some key findings. extent of the digital divide was fully exposed. • Many markets reflect monopoly and duopoly People who lacked adequate broadband access influence, but some respondents (9 percent) were at a stark disadvantage. Mercifully, federal feel there’s at least some ISP competition for and state agencies jumped into action and have businesses in their jurisdictions. been opening the spigots for billions of dollars • Respondents now have a markedly increased in financial aid to prioritize broadband access interest in telehealth as a local economic tool for communities that need it most. than they had 18 months ago. Meanwhile, broadband groaned under • Most survey participants (52 percent) believe the strain of massive shifting computer data broadband can influence low-income workers, as more people learned and worked at home. and 62 percent believe it can influence Fiber was still the gold standard for broadband unemployed workers to become entrepreneurs infrastructure then, but the only things moving before and after the pandemic ends. faster than toilet paper off store shelves were • The majority of respondents (52 to 75 wireless routers. percent) believe federal and state broadband It’s fair to say that over the past year, policies and funding rules work to the economic development experts saw changes in detriment of local communities. the roles, responsibilities, and value of broadband • Ultimately, economic developers expect and digital technology as development tools. broadband and digital technologies will KEY SURVEY RESULTS be helpful to local economies when the Results of the Broadband, Local Economies pandemic is over. & the Age of COVID survey show economic Unfortunately, the views of midsize to large development experts believe there has been cities aren’t well accounted for in the survey progress in the impacts of community because the membership of the IEDC heavily broadband, broadband coverage and increased represents rural communities. That said, a applications of digital technologies. I have been significant number of counties (40 percent) collaborating on this annual broadband survey and regions (22 percent) are represented, and with the International Economic Development these contribute to 25 percent of respondents Council (IEDC) since 2006. This year, ETI representing urban, suburban and rural Software sponsored the survey, and the software communities together in their jurisdictions.
26 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 Sixty-nine percent of survey participants called for “increased local control of broadband networks and policy.” Most also expect broadband and digital technologies will be helpful to local economies when the pandemic is over.
DIVERSE BROADBAND PLANS limited-reach networks in commercial Currently, there are more than 2,500 The survey found that for jurisdictions districts and downtown areas. Limited- WISPs, of which about 10 percent are that have or are planning public reach networks also are targeted to in urban cities. networks this year, 8 percent hope residential areas for 40 percent of Fourteen percent of survey to build a wired network, 5 percent jurisdictions. I expect that further respondents say they have co-ops are building a wireless network and 8 digging would reveal that these are offering broadband, and 7 percent percent are building a hybrid wireless/ areas with low-income homes where say co-ops plan to build broadband wired network. This collective 21 incumbents won’t build. networks soon. Electric co-ops started percent is an increase from 15 percent In terms of business models, these networks in 2013, and almost in 2019 that had or planned to build public-private partnerships lead the 100 co-ops are building networks now. a public network. Another 9 percent pack, accounting for the first choice of Telephone co-ops have a 15-year head of jurisdictions plan to build public 43 percent of jurisdictions. A quarter start on electric co-ops. networks of one type or another, of respondents say they want the though they aren’t sure how soon. municipal government or public utility TELEHEALTH’S ECONOMIC This year’s respondents provided to own and operate their networks, IMPACT INCREASES more details on “limited-reach” public and 27 percent want a public entity to Forty-one percent of survey respondents networks, meaning networks confined own the infrastructure and a private think attracting more health care to specific parts of a city or town. Sixty- company to sell and manage the professionals to communities impacts three percent of respondents indicated broadband services. local economies; 26 percent believed they are building these networks in Forty-nine percent of jurisdictions so in 2019. Thirty-nine percent think anchor institutions such as schools, have WISPs. The prominence of WISPs reducing ER visits through telehealth libraries or government buildings. on the broadband landscape is due in is a significant economic benefit, and However, 47 percent and 48 percent part to nearly three decades of rural 24 percent thought the same in 2019. of respondents, respectively, want growth, starting in Wyoming in 1992. Having more mental health care
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 27 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Telehealth kiosks can reduce ER overcrowding, counties, thereby ensuring incumbents’ greater control and lower ROW fees. provide emergency and general care, and save Seventy-three percent of survey respondents say it’s worth fighting for health care facilities money. the return of local control over ROW. Local governments want fair market prices for ROW fees from incumbents, control over what kind of broadband is services stay local is a strong benefit says Eric Haden, president at Drexly deployed, knowledge of constituents’ for 32 percent of respondents; just 24 Telehealth Solutions. rates, and franchise agreements terms. percent said so in 2019. BROADBAND POLICY SHOULD EQUITY SHOULD BE “There’s a reason broadband is a PRIORITIZED super-determinant of public health,” BE LOCAL Digital redlining is the practice says economist Dr. Bento Lobo, an Twenty-one states passed varying of under investing in digital expert in digital technology and degrees of prohibitions against public connectivity resources for low-income public health’s economic impact. utility–owned broadband networks. neighborhoods. Though heavily “By having Chattanooga’s 10 gigabit But COVID-19 changed the political associated with urban communities, public network in his home office, Dr. dynamics. Some state legislators value rural areas are not immune. Survey Jim Busch and the other radiologists constituents’ needs (and fear their respondents are strongly against the together at Diagnostic Radiology wrath) as political tides shift. Sixty-nine practice and believe there should be Consultants save $18.2 million a year percent of survey participants called for rules prohibiting it. Help is coming in time – their typical radiologist saves “increased local control of broadband as dozens of organizations have 1,000 hours a year.” networks and policy.” asked the FCC to directly confront Telehealth kiosks can reduce costs This is happening in some parts of digital redlining. in the ER equation. Low-income the country. The Arkansas governor Should federal broadband grants African Americans, other people of signed a bill this year significantly for broadband urban areas increase? color and immigrants often use the reducing barriers to municipal Currently, billions of dollars in federal ER as primary care. Kiosks can reduce broadband. It allows government grants are given predominately to ER overcrowding, provide emergency entities “to acquire, construct, furnish, rural areas. In contrast, in urban and general care and save health care or equip facilities for the provision of areas, there is a weak subsidy program facilities money. The units enable voice services, data services, broadband and a comparatively small number of two-way communication with health services, video services, or wireless federal grants. Fifty-two percent of care professionals who can remotely telecommunications services” as respondents favor grant parity between observe patients, or medical assistants long as they “partner, contract, or urban and rural. equipped with various digital otherwise affiliate with an entity I suspect that the reason there is less diagnostic tools can go to kiosks. that is experienced in the operation of support for this policy change is the Kiosks can compensate for the the facilities.” fear that any advancement for urban loss of hospitals in urban and rural Currently, public utility districts broadband funding will lead to an communities because vendors can (PUDs) in Washington state are able automatic reduction of rural broadband configure kiosk capabilities to meet to offer unrestricted broadband on a grants. But this is not a zero-sum specialties needed in certain areas and wholesale basis only through a dark game – everybody needs broadband! connect them via broadband into a fiber or open-access network, meaning Communities do themselves a single network. Clinics and kiosks cities can’t sell broadband directly to disservice falling into an “us versus can team up to deliver big-city quality consumers or organizations. House them” incumbent trap. v services to sparsely populated areas, Bill 1336 was introduced to remove plus attract businesses and individuals these restrictions and allow PUDs to to an area and keep profits local. sell outside their existing territories and Craig Settles is president of CJ Speaks. Local government can place construct broadband infrastructure for His workshops, consulting services and modified mobile kiosks at food banks federally recognized tribes. books have helped public, private and and other places where needy people Survey respondents were asked if nonprofit organizations worldwide use gather. “Counties possibly could set there should be a drive to “return local technology to cut costs, improve business up kiosks in homeless shelters to right-of-way (ROW) rules.” For several operations and increase revenue. Settles provide ‘safety net’ free emergency and years, incumbents have been trying can be reached at [email protected]. general health services without patients to centralize control of ROW rules in needing to visit urgent care clinics,” statehouses rather than in cities and
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ATT085838_ATOM_Broadband_Communities_Trade_Pub_Ad_4FINAL.indd 1 2/22/21 1:52 PM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
A Fiber Network Spurs a New Northern New Hampshire Tech Corridor
Planning, perseverance and strategic alliances pay off for the rural community of Bristol, NH, as it overcomes obstacles to bring better broadband and better jobs to residents.
By Sean Buckley / Broadband Communities
ristol, New Hampshire, is either underserved or unserved with broadband Baccording to the FCC definition, but it is eager to provide affordable, high-speed broadband to its residents and businesses. The rural town has some internet options, but they’re largely low-speed services from the area incumbent telco and cable operator that can’t support demanding applications. To make progress toward reaching its broadband goals, Bristol developed the Bristol Broadband Now initiative, an effort by the town’s Economic Development Committee to build a multipurpose fiber network. The network will provide symmetrical fiber-to-the- premises (FTTP) network internet to residents throughout Bristol and connect businesses, municipal buildings and educational facilities in Bristol and nearby Plymouth. Three desires drove Bristol to consider Nicholas Coates, Bristol town administrator building its own FTTP and middle-mile fiber network: to improve cellular service, provide adequate residential broadband to meet the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic, and problem to attract new business and people attract new businesses. who want to settle here if we don’t have good “The Economic Development Committee cell coverage.” had been looking at how to improve cell But the town’s efforts to engage wireless coverage in the town,” says Nicholas Coates, operators to enhance wireless coverage were Bristol’s town administrator. “It’s a tough unsuccessful. These providers told Bristol that
30 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 Bristol Broadband Now will provide symmetrical fiber service to residences throughout Bristol and will connect businesses, municipal buildings and educational facilities in Bristol and Plymouth, New Hampshire.
they would not be able to make a a manufacturing plant in the town that anymore,” Coates says. “So, we asked strong business case because the town’s employs 500 people. “As the gas engine how we can help create a workforce location is far from the state’s major switches over to more of an electrical that will be ready for that and how we highway system. engine, gas parts won’t be needed can help this business retool.” ENHANCING BUSINESSES, JOB CREATION When the large wireless operators could not prove there would be a strong BRIDGING RURAL NORTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE ROI for enhancing wireless coverage, the town took it upon itself to find a Bristol is just one New Hampshire town trying to offer more-robust solution. Bristol quickly realized a big broadband. The Grafton County Broadband Committee was convened to part of the cost to connect wireless bring large-scale broadband access to the New Hampshire North Country. towers and microcells is the fiber The committee’s first initiative is to develop a middle-mile network for backhaul facility. 30 other rural New Hampshire communities. Bristol hopes its proposed fiber “Similar to Bristol, we’re looking at how to provide an ROI that network will spur further development would make sense for a company to come in or whether we can of a tech corridor along route I-93 in conduct a private-public partnership to tie into that backbone and deliver northern New Hampshire. Although last-mile connectivity into a rural community,” says Nicholas Coates, the tech corridor already exists in the who serves as chair of the committee made up of five Grafton County southern part of the state, northern town officials. towns such as Bristol have been looking Coates and his colleagues in Grafton County also convened broadband for ways to create the workforce and committees with New Hampshire’s Coos County and Carroll County. The educational programs that draw Carroll County Broadband Committee is working with the Center on Rural technology companies and enable them Innovation, a Vermont-based nonprofit, and the North Country Council, to thrive. The towns hope to achieve a regional economic development agency, to complete a comprehensive this by creating a pathway between survey of the county’s internet offerings. education and business while expanding “We’re taking a similar approach to the one we took in Grafton County the availability of broadband. and connecting it to what Coos and Carroll counties are doing,” Coates In Bristol, for example, says. “We’ll have a fiber system for the entire northern rural part of the Freudenberg-NOK Sealing state that can compete and attract new business from Montreal, Boston, Technologies, which makes seals and Quebec and New York.” pistons for the automotive industry, has
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 31 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
He says “good solid internet will be what we were trying to do,” Coates only residents, but also businesses and needed” to help local students as they says. “They told us we would end up the local university. transition into the workforce. Fifty becoming a competitor to them in a “One of the things we realized percent of kids who graduate from territory where they already provide is that we really wanted to make Bristol’s Newfound Regional High service, so they were not really that connection to Plymouth State School don’t pursue college degrees, interested in working with us.” University (PSU) and that $260,000 so preparing them to compete in the Consolidated Communications would not get us there and to the other workforce by helping them acquire high- had similar thoughts about Bristol’s things we want to do,” Coates says. tech skills is central to Bristol’s plan. network ambitions. “Consolidated said But Bristol found a new “You could look at these statistics it already has fiber and doesn’t need opportunity to fund Bristol Broadband and say it’s a real problem, or you to build it out anymore,” Coates says. Now when the New Hampshire could say it’s an opportunity for high- “The telco suggested we could rent government launched the Connecting school students to be tracked to jobs at space on its lines, which we said would New Hampshire – Emergency Freudenberg if they learn the skills they not work.” Broadband Expansion Program funded need to work there after they graduate,” When it became clear the by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Coates says. “Now, we could solve incumbents were not interested in Economic Security (CARES) Act. This two problems: losing workers who are program authorized the allocation and retiring and kids not having high-paying helping Bristol build a network, the town took matters into its own hands. expenditure of $50 million from the jobs and contributing to the economy.” CARES Act to address the increased The key to connecting high- It began by pursuing Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) need for internet connectivity resulting school programs such as robotics to from the COVID-19 pandemic. grant funds. NBRC is a federal- Freudenberg-NOK is a fiber network. The first project is a 24-mile state partnership for economic and “We realized to make this fiber route that passes nearly 400 community development in northern connection, we needed to provide high- Bristol residences and connects to the Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont speed internet,” Coates says. “To get NetworkNH system at PSU. The second and New York. Every year, NBRC that high-speed internet, we realized project will provide the additional fiber provides funding for critical economic we probably would have to build a backbone and fiber distribution required fiber network.” and community development projects to connect all Bristol municipal, Freudenberg-NOK isn’t the only throughout the Northeast. These educational and commercial buildings company that will benefit from the investments, which leverage private- and is funded by the NBRC grant and fiber network. A local fluid dynamic sector investments, drive job creation. town appropriation. company that developed an air purifier Bristol residents agreed during the Coates says the focus of the to battle COVID-19 plans to move town meeting to provide a level of Emergency Broadband Expansion servers from the Netherlands to Bristol. funding if the town could win a Program was in line with Bristol’s plans. The medical coding provider NBRC grant, which it did. Between “A lot of the stuff we were thinking Medical Management and the town appropriation and the grant, about was what the program was Reimbursement Specialists (MRS) Bristol ended up with $260,000 for its touching on, such as telemedicine, pledged to add additional software new network. remote schooling and telework,” development staff once the network is By building its own network, Bristol Coates says. “As we were planning this fully operational. “MRS plans to triple could have a level of control. Instead its workforce because it will be able to project, we were talking about it from of working with a provider that might have people work remotely,” Coates says. an economic development standpoint – cherry-pick the most profitable areas, we were going to connect businesses, COMMUNITY-LED EFFORT Bristol’s fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) schools and municipal buildings, but Like its discussions with area wireless network could cover the entire town. we did not have enough money to do operators, Bristol’s efforts to reach out “We are able to build the network fiber to the home.” to area incumbent wireline providers the way we want it and aren’t beholden To get the support of Bristol voters, also failed to bear fruit. Neither to Atlantic Broadband or Consolidated Coates felt the town needed to also have Atlantic Broadband nor Consolidated Communications, who said ‘you can the funds to build an FTTH network. Communications could see a viable way have a network, but only where we “I had been pushing our economic to work with the town. already have it,’” Coates says. development chair, saying that if we’re Atlantic Broadband, which going to get buy-in from the voters became Bristol’s cable incumbent MULTIFACETED NETWORK on the vision of doing a full build for when it purchased area assets from The NBRC grant and town the entire community, we’re going to Metrocast, did not want to enable appropriation was a start, but Bristol have to do fiber to the home,” Coates another competitor. knew it was not be enough to get a says. “The focus of the Emergency “We talked to Atlantic Broadband, network built the way it wanted. The Broadband Expansion Program grant but their vision did not align with town wanted the network to serve not was related to three areas: deliver fiber
32 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 to the home to about 450 residences, Bristol was the only municipality in make the connection to Plymouth State University, and branch out New Hampshire to receive Coronavirus Aid, into other areas that we identified as high priorities.” Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act After years of planning and grant money for telecom infrastructure. strategizing with project stakeholders, the town issued a request for proposals in August 2020 for the design, engineering and construction of the network, which was completed in the utilities insuring, managing and process, I thought it would make sense December 2020 to meet CARES Act operating it. “We got a tepid response to partner with NHEC because it’s in funding regulations. of no, not really,” Coates says. its mission to provide rural electricity,” Following a formal procurement Bristol eventually found a kindred Coates says. Broadband was initially process, Bristol selected eX² Technology spirit in New Hampshire Electric not part of NHEC’s plans, but the to build out a hybrid FTTH network Co-op (NHEC). Unlike traditional co-op was being told by some of the architecture using Active Ethernet and investor-owned utilities, NHEC is a towns it serves with electricity that it GPON. “Bristol chose eX² because it member-owned electric cooperative. needed to get into the broadband game. was not affiliated with any provider, Headquartered in Plymouth, Coates reminded NHEC that it which allows us to make the best NHEC connects its members through had a lot of fiber on poles that had decisions for the town,” Coates said. 5,600 miles of energized lines, crossing been overbuilt and could be turned into Jay Jorgensen, COO of eX² 115 communities throughout rural a revenue stream. He says he told the Technology, says the nature of the New Hampshire. co-op, “Since it’s in your mission CARES Act funding posed an “As we were going through our to provide electricity in rural areas, interesting challenge for completing the Bristol fiber project. “The unique part about it was that it had a quick burn,” he says. “The CARES Act money needed to be spent by the end of the year, so we had a ELECTRIC CO-OPS MAKE RDOF GAINS 90-day cycle to build 24 miles of fiber It’s clear that electric cooperatives are making broadband a priority. in New Hampshire, where winter According to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, nearly obviously becomes an issue.” 100 electric co-ops have started offering high-speed internet access to ELECTRIC CO-OP PACT rural homes, businesses and schools. After securing funding, Bristol also As electric cooperatives work to bring broadband to the rural United had to clear another hurdle in its States, some have formed partnerships with telecom operators and network plan: gaining access to existing towns. In Georgia, for instance, the city of Colquitt has partnered with utility poles. Windstream, and the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative has partnered “We started to look at what we with Bristol, New Hampshire. should do and banged our head against Electric cooperatives had a big showing in the FCC’s Rural Digital the wall for three years,” Coates says. Opportunity Fund (RDOF) reverse auction, securing $1.6 billion to serve “Our insurance company would more than 900,000 locations in 31 states. In total, 180 electric co-ops not provide us insurance because competed as part of five consortiums that garnered a total of about $1.5 the rates are too high, and the area billion. Five individual electric co-ops won a total of $59.4 million. utilities, Eversource and Consolidated For example, Conexon, a rural fiber network design and construction Communications, would not change management provider, and members of its Rural Electric Cooperative their insurance policies on pole Consortium were awarded more than $1.1 billion through the RDOF Phase attachments, because we would be I auction to provide gigabit-capable broadband. Consortium members a competitor.” will use these funds to launch and operate fiber-to-the-home networks in When it could not find a more than 600,000 rural areas across 22 states. solution to the pole attachment and Cooperatives have continued to step up to provide rural area insurance issues, Bristol went back to broadband service. More than 100 co-ops are engaged in broadband Consolidated and Atlantic Broadband projects. CAF II, the last FCC reverse broadband auction, was the first time and proposed a public-private electric co-ops were eligible for FCC rural broadband funding. Thirty-two partnership in which the town would electric co-ops won 35 bids in that 2018 auction. build the network in exchange for
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 33 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT why would you not do the same make-ready process, which can NHEC it would have to do things out with broadband?” cause lengthy delays. But the town’s of the ordinary. When Bristol looked at the FCC’s agreement with NHEC streamlined the “NHEC told us it was good with Rural Digital Opportunity Fund make-ready process to attach fiber to our proposal because that’s what it was (RDOF) site to see what it could the utility’s poles. going to be doing with its own projects, fund with an Emergency Broadband eX² Technology’s Jorgensen says and eX² Technology was instrumental Expansion Program grant, it found because Bristol had already done the in having that conversation,” Coates there was a large area of town that legwork to get the pole attachments says. “The design and the construction met the definition of underserved in place, the process to build what process were very streamlined.” or unserved. will be mainly an aerial network Now that the network is built, Coates learned that NHEC was was accelerated. the next phase will be to reach pole pursuing funding on its own for “Oftentimes the permitting and attachment agreements with Eversource other areas, but as the owner of most approval process for pole attachments and Consolidated, which own the of the poles in Bristol, the co-op could take several months or more,” remaining poles in Bristol. promised cooperation. Jorgensen says. “For the town to have “While we’re working on the second “We told them the pole attachment relationships in place and for the part of the pole attachment agreement process and getting insurance had been electric co-op to work with us like process, we’re interviewing ISPs,” hard,” Coates says. “NHEC assured that was unique and key to getting the Coates says. they would work with us and figured project done on time.” out how to make it happen if we got Though it had NHEC on board as a WHOLE-TOWN COVERAGE the money.” pole attachment partner, the short time With an eye set on having an open- frame to get the network built meant access network, Bristol is taking a close STREAMLINED MAKE-READY Bristol could not wait for the lengthy look at how different ISPs would work PROCESS make-ready pole attachment process. with the town. Bristol expects to have As a new player in the market, Bristol When Bristol got ready to build its an ISP in the coming months. is not immune to the pole attachment network with eX² Technology, it told One key question Bristol is asking ISP candidates is whether they buy into the vision in which the town retains some level of control and ownership and the ability to build out service to more areas. “We don’t want to build out just half of the town and say we’re good because the other side would say ‘what the heck?’” Coates says. “Now, we tell these companies that we want them to build out the rest of the town over a one- to five-year period, so we obtain our goals around full FTTH opportunities.” Today, Bristol is evaluating four ISP candidates, all of which have different models. Once it completes the process, it will rank them and ask if they can meet its specific goals. “The conversation will be that we’ll partner with the ISP and write the grants and address 80 percent of the cost if it is able to put in 20 percent of the match money that’s required for these grants,” Coates says. “Instead of the ISP having to spend 100 percent of the costs to get customers, it only has to spend 20 percent.” BONDING WITH THE R&D COMMUNITY In addition to connecting residents and businesses, Bristol also saw an opportunity to be a conduit for
34 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 the local research and development (R&D) community. Bristol’s relationship with PSU is rooted in the creation of the Infrastructure to Broaden Economic Advancement and Mindshare (I-BEAM-NH). At the time I-BEAM was devised, New Hampshire proposed building a fiber ring network to connect major community anchor institutions in the state and link together several communities in the western, southwestern, and northern parts of the state that have limited or no means of terrestrial broadband access. The overall infrastructure of I-BEAM was expected to help 50,000 subscribers in New Hampshire upgrade or gain access to affordable broadband services. “The goal was to build a network backbone to serve anchor institutions,” Coates says. “NetworkNH got the money to connect all the universities and the community colleges, but they never got to the next step of connecting all the municipal and county buildings.” Given the initial mission of I-BEAM, Bristol surmised that there was a big opportunity for it to help connect R&D facilities at other New Hampshire colleges. “Bristol’s development chair said there is this really high-speed network tied into research and development for connecting our schools and businesses,” Coates says. “So we asked why would we not want to figure out how to tie into that network to bring high-speed Bristol’s network connection to Plymouth State University will enable it to reach other New internet to researchers at the University Hampshire and Massachusetts universities including Dartmouth College, the University of of New Hampshire and Dartmouth. New Hampshire and MIT. We could also bring MIT research to Bristol and its schools and businesses.” Bristol found that the nearest connection point was in Plymouth off we’re trying to do,” Coates says. “It will and fire department. It also will River Road, which is one of the main get us to the front door of the university follow the path of areas it cited as backroads between Plymouth and system, which is our second goal.” economic development areas with the Bristol. It also is an area that Bristol To make the connection into PSU, NBRC borders. identified as a potential economic Bristol will develop an indefeasible “We got the second grant and had development target. right of use (IRU) fiber lease from PSU The town’s Emergency Broadband to get the build going quickly,” Coates down to where the university’s fiber Expansion Program grant application says. “NHEC said it will build what it was focused on its conversations with terminates along River Road. can build.” v NHEC, which owns the poles on From there, Bristol will build River Road along the route to the fiber from the termination point in PSU building. the municipal network to the water Sean Buckley is the editor-in-chief of “We have a friendly company that and sewer department, highway Broadband Communities. He can be owns the poles and bought into what department, library, police department reached at [email protected].
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 35 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Rural Communities Launch Publicly Owned Fiber Networks
Rural communities are deploying fiber as a way to future-proof and meet the long- term communications needs of homes, businesses, community anchor institutions and government agencies.
By Michael A. Solitro / Sertex Broadband Solutions
igh-speed internet is now the heart of times the capacity of any other wired medium. the economy. According to the Bureau Without amplification, signals carry for miles Hof Economic Analysis, the digital with minimal signal loss, and fiber will not economy is growing nearly three times as fast as corrode on exposure to weather and other the overall economy, at about 10 percent per year. environmental conditions. This means lower Today, a 100/50 Mbps connection maintenance costs and a useful lifetime of adequately allows videoconferencing, surfing, decades – a huge economic advantage. streaming and gaming with multiple devices. But only a third of U.S. homes have access Projections anticipate 2 gigabit upload and to the speed and reliability of fiber optic download speed requirements by 2030. Yet networks. Even in the densely populated most of the nonmetropolitan United States still Northeast, where several states are nearly 100 limps along without a wired connection capable percent connected, many in small towns still of meeting the FCC’s minimum 25 Mbps struggle with DSL and underperforming, suggested speed. Without adequate broadband expensive cable connections. Cable may soon services, rural areas can’t participate in one of get even more costly in areas where true the fastest growing sectors of the economy. high-speed broadband is available. This year, Cable companies claim to offer rates up to Comcast is planning to begin charging its home a gigabit per second, but hundreds of users can internet customers in the Northeast and other share these connections. When many users areas for data usage over 1.2TB per month. And connect at the same time, the true rate per home Comcast’s competitors can’t be far behind. can be as low as 4 Mbps. Cable was designed for Recognizing broadband as an essential utility asymmetric data speeds with higher downstream like roads and electricity, and tired of waiting for and lower upstream rates. With 45 million telecommunications giants to deliver promised people working from home in the pandemic, this high-speed internet services, a growing number often-oversubscribed data transmission system of rural towns in the Northeast are taking back has proven to be weak and inadequate. control by building publicly owned, last-mile Enter fiber broadband. Fiber is a future- fiber broadband networks in their communities. proof technology that can easily meet the With gigabit fiber networks, these remote communications needs of homes, businesses, communities can compete digitally with community anchor institutions and government big cities and affluent suburbs. By building agencies for decades. The capacity of a single affordable, publicly owned, fiber-to-the-premises strand of fiber optic cable is thousands of (FTTP) networks, municipalities can take
36 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 Construction has started on Block Island’s $8 million FTTP network that will provide reliable gigabit fiber broadband to every home and business on the island and help boost the local economy.
control of their telecommunications broadband future. Municipalities New Shoreham recently committed to infrastructure and open the doors finance the fiber infrastructure building an $8 million FTTP network for growth. and manage rights of way – things that will provide gigabit high-speed governments are familiar with doing. internet along with phone service to PUBLIC-PRIVATE A community’s financial investment every home and business on the island. COLLABORATIONS GIVE is limited to network buildout and The town is creating this network COMMUNITIES CONTROL excludes the service side. in partnership with Sertex Broadband The challenge in bringing reliable The private entity builds the Solutions, a provider of fiber optic broadband to rural areas is buildout infrastructure, maintains the fiber infrastructure deployment services costs. When small populations and equipment, and runs the business to unserved and underserved areas. are spread across large geographic and operational end of the network. It The municipality will own all passive areas, hundreds of miles of network handles sales and marketing, customer and active electronic elements of the infrastructure must be built, often service, technology updates and island network, including conduit, through remote and rugged terrain. customer demands – functions private underground and aerial fiber cabling Infrastructure installation is expensive, entities do well. For their investment, and drops to about 1,700 properties. and telecommunications giants are private network operators and ISP Sertex will engineer, furnish and install unwilling to invest in sparsely populated partners benefit by quickly accessing all conduit, cabling, drops and the areas with limited opportunity for profit. new markets without building necessary electronics to deliver the To ensure affordability, a public- infrastructure at their own expense. service. Once the network is operating, private partnership between a local Just as a municipality would Sertex and the network’s ISP will government and private providers can fund any infrastructure investment, handle operations, maintenance and leverage a municipality’s ability to local governments can access capital customer service. finance capital projects at low long- markets and use grants or low-cost The backbone network and drops term interest rates. For taxpayers, access public financing methods, including are the largest capital cost for the to public bonding means the cost for municipal or revenue bonds, to fund project. The town has committed to a publicly owned fiber network can network development. No private entity installing all the drops while crews be extremely affordable. By owning has access to funding with similar rates are on-site during the construction the networks, communities manage and terms. process. This commitment is financially expensive – and often uncontrolled – In New Shoreham, Rhode Island, efficient and will help promote ISP relationships and create located 12 miles offshore on isolated market penetration. Once a network infrastructure that pays for itself. Block Island, residents and businesses is operational, the typical cost to run In addition, using networks to have been struggling for years with an aerial service drop to a suburban deliver advanced services can even underperforming satellite and DSL home is approximately $700 with an generate revenue. service. A tourist community with added $370 for electronics, which totals In a public-private scenario, towns just 1,000 year-round residents and a $1,070 for an installation just 250 feet have a low-risk way to chart their seasonal population of up to 20,000, from the right of way. (Drops in remote
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 37 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
safety services, improving schools, enhancing the offerings of libraries, and allowing remote enrollment in higher education and participation in the arts. Because these networks are locally owned and operated, the millions of dollars in savings they generate can be reinvested in the local economy. Over the past four years, as many as 23 small towns in the Berkshire region of western Massachusetts have chosen to construct more than 1,600 miles of FTTP networks that to date have connected some 17,000 rural customers to gigabit-speed internet service. These communities and many others throughout the country are experiencing: • Improved real estate values: When people look for communities to move into, the presence and speed of internet connectivity is an important factor. Research by the Fiber Broadband Association found that having a fiber broadband connection increases property values by 3.1 percent, and that private Over the past four years, as many as 23 small towns in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts properties with 1 Gbps connections have chosen to construct more than 1,600 miles of FTTP networks, connecting some 17,000 rural sell for an average of 7 percent more customers to gigabit-speed internet service. than those with 25 Mbps or lower. • Residential growth: FTTP availability attracts people looking areas and underground installations The public-private model gives to move from urban areas and come at a much higher price.) local governments choice and influence keeps existing residents in town, By running drops to every premises over broadband decision-making. increasing a community’s tax during network construction, New More reliable, more responsive, more base. Often newcomers are young Shoreham is picking up the installation affordable networks replace existing, families that use local schools costs for individual customers, an achingly slow, monopoly-controlled and support local businesses investment that should incentivize any services. and institutions. The presence hesitant property owners to join the of a gigabit fiber network can network. The town is financing the EMPOWERING RURAL be the reason people choose one islandwide buildout using 2 percent ECONOMIES community over another. municipal bonds with 40-year terms. Reliable, high-speed internet access • Business growth: High-speed The town will recover many of the delivered by municipally owned fiber internet access allows local network’s costs for construction, networks improves the productivity businesses to expand, invest maintenance and operations through of existing businesses, allows and seek new opportunities by subscriber fees, which, combined, telecommuting, creates new jobs and connecting them regionally, are less than the price residents are attracts new businesses to remote nationally and globally. Some currently paying for poor internet and communities. It incentivizes younger connected towns are even recruiting phone service. people to stay in a community, draws corporations to relocate or add By financing only fiber cabling and new residents, encourages tourism, and facilities in their communities. conduit, the town can secure loans with strengthens real estate markets. • Job creation: As existing 40-year terms. If it tried to finance High-speed communications businesses grow and new businesses cabling and electronics, terms would networks can also promote social good are created thanks to FTTP access, be far shorter because of the limited life and human services by simplifying new jobs are created. Many fields span of the equipment. access to health care, enhancing public are now knowledge-based rather
38 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 than location-based, and employees High-speed communications networks can choose to live anywhere that has a reliable high-speed connection promote social good by simplifying access to for videoconferencing and accessing information. health care, enhancing public safety services, • Health care benefits: FTTP networks provide greater access to improving schools, enhancing the offerings of health care without traveling long libraries, and allowing remote enrollment in distances. Telemedicine can improve health outcomes for people inclined higher education and participation in the arts. to delay medical visits if they must travel to see a doctor. Communities with healthier populations enjoy stronger local economies because the economic burden of health care costs businesses can advertise on the communities. With public-private is reduced. And communities with network, and the town can collect models, the cost of entry is no longer a younger populations naturally have some or all the advertising revenues. barrier, and doing nothing is no longer lower health care demands. Private, subscription-based Wi-Fi an option. v • New income sources: There are networks in hotels, marinas and a few ways FTTP networks can other closed communities could also Michael A. Solitro is the founder and generate revenue. For example, in be a source of new income. a tourist location such as Block CEO of Sertex Broadband Solutions, Island, the town could set up a FTTP networks can literally an expert in fiber optic infrastructure commercial Wi-Fi network that all transform both the character and the deployment in unserved and underserved visitors can access for free. Local economic status of stagnant rural areas in the Northeast.
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 39 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
A Michigan FTTH Network Rebuild Sets Stage for Greater Bandwidth, Smart-City Applications
Wyandotte, Michigan’s municipal utility provider is rebuilding its hybrid fiber coax network with fiber to the home to retain and attract new residents and businesses with 10 Gbps broadband, IP video and smart IoT services.
By Sean Buckley / Broadband Communities
yandotte, Michigan, located 11 resources and future service goals revealed that miles south of Detroit along the the FTTH build was the best option. WDetroit River, is notable for being CommScope is helping the agency rebuild the only community in the metro Detroit area its coax network with fiber to deliver service to to offer a full spectrum of community-owned the city’s residents. The city plans to complete municipal utility services. Since the turn of the the new system and begin serving its citizens century, Wyandotte Municipal Services (WMS) within the next two years. has provided electric power through a municipal CommScope serves as the overall integrator power plant and distribution system, operated for the Wyandotte project, playing the roles of a municipally owned water filtration plant and adviser, consultant, engineer and construction distribution system, and provided cable-based manager. It is conducting a deep analysis and internet services. But the city of 25,000 is not considering issues such as headend relocation, resting on its broadband laurels. fiber overlay requirements, an FCC repack, When WMS started considering ways to IP delivery requirements and budget and future-proof its network, it looked at three
options: conducting node splits in the cable municipal funding. Meanwhile, Graybar network, driving fiber deeper, and pursuing and Power & Tel are in charge of order a remote physical solution. The community fulfillment. The two companies are members ultimately concluded that a fiber-to-the-home of CommScope’s PartnerPRO Network and (FTTH) network was the best option because it provide material for the FTTH build. would prevent network congestion and provide By providing both the fiber technology and a platform to support future smart-city and expertise, CommScope will enable nearly 13,000 smart-home applications. homes and more than 700 commercial buildings Before WMS settled on a fiber path, it to access a new network with up to 10 Gbps of conducted an analysis that defined and quantified internet, IP video and smart-home services. the costs and benefits of upgrading the existing The project requires full conversion to hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network versus FTTH, management of multiple contractors, building an FTTH network. An early evaluation network component integration, and relocation of the architecture, technologies, business and expansion of Wyandotte’s headend.
40 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 Wyandotte, Michigan, determined that upgrading to a fiber-to-the-home network would prevent network congestion and provide a platform to support future smart-city and smart-home applications.
CommScope Professional Services Wyandotte’s broadband journey Today, Wyandotte Cable serves will provide both inside and outside can be traced back to the early 1980s, about 5,100 cable television subscribers, plant construction management and when Wyandotte Cable – part of 6,000 high-speed internet subscribers headend relocation. Ongoing consulting WMS – installed cable infrastructure and 900 digital phone subscribers services include HFC and FTTH throughout the city and began offering with annual revenues of approximately architecture analysis, network evolution basic cable television services. Since $10 million. and FTTH design services. The vendor 1983, Wyandotte Cable has expanded The fiber network will provide also will provide off-air antennas and what was once a basic cable television various benefits that impact the way satellite signal surveys. In addition to system into a full broadband telecom Wyandotte Cable serves customers. For one, it will immediately give offering its complete FTTH portfolio, system that provides voice and data. it another advantage over its main CommScope will provide new fiber “Wyandotte Cable evolved like any competitor, AT&T, which provides a innovation to get more bandwidth out of of the other players in this business to the existing network infrastructure. triple-play bundle. provide broadband and VoIP phone “The thrust of our project with Other cities and towns served by services, so we offer the triple bundle large utilities see crippling outages from CommScope is that we’ll be able to like any of our competitors,” LaManes provide speeds and reliability that none time to time. In contrast, Wyandotte says. is quick to tout the reliability of its of our competitors in Wyandotte can Like other communities that have currently offer,” LaManes says. “It utility platforms. built their own networks, Wyandotte allows us to increase revenue with a “There’s a lot of pride in Wyandotte has been able to leverage the coax and higher-margin product than we have with its municipal utility,” says Paul fiber network for the electricity network. with our video services.” LaManes, the general manager of “The coax network has a wide Wyandotte, who is overseeing the range of uses,” LaManes says. “We got FOCUS ON IP-BASED VIDEO city’s conversion to FTTH. “We have a lot of utility out of the system for Wyandotte Cable rebuilt or made major bragging rights given our limited outage management, advanced meter upgrades to its network about every 20 electric outages compared with infrastructure, and supervisory control years, which is what led it to work with investor-owned utility neighbors less and data acquisition.” CommScope. Wyandotte issued 15-year than a mile or two away.” revenue bonds to complete the FTTH Over time, the provider has been He adds, “The ability to have your build. It is also moving its headend from expanding the depth of its fiber own cable internet and other utility the current location to a new building. services is extremely unique here.” network. Between 2014 and 2020, Today, the provider offers voice, Wyandotte Cable built out additional video and data over DOCSIS and A NEW BROADBAND JOURNEY fiber cables and converted digital and quadrature amplitude modulation The fiber network Wyandotte is high-definition signal formats. It now (QAM)-based facilities. As a result of the planning is a complete rebuild of its offers a wide selection of cable television upgrade to FTTH, it will be able to offer existing system. Though the plans to services, from digital and high-definition the advantage of a lower-cost network. rebuild Wyandotte Cable with fiber is programming to advanced, internet- “It also allows us to have decreased new, it is not the first network transition connected, whole-home video services maintenance costs because of the lack WMS has been through during its more powered by TiVo technology with access of active equipment,” LaManes says. than 30-year history. to everything on all mobile devices. “It’s a long-term investment.”
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 41 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
are advantageous to us financially,” says LeManes. “We needed that partnership; we could not do it on our own.” Now in the process of awarding the bids, the city started construction on the building in February. “It is going to be a process of a year or two to complete,” LaManes says. “Once we complete it, we’ll be positioned to compete at the highest levels against any competitor and be positioned for the next 20 to 30 years.”
ATTRACTING BUSINESSES, HOMEOWNERS Giving residential customers higher speeds over FTTH is a key priority, As Wyandotte transitions its last-mile network to fiber, it is also migrating from QAM to an IP-based and the new fiber network will also be video system. a key attraction for new and existing businesses located in the city. Henry Ford Hospital has a large facility in Wyandotte. The city’s Another part of its network “We had the need to move our strategic plan includes building out a transition is migrating from QAM to headend.” Currently, the cable headend medical campus near the thoroughfare an IP-based video system. is in an old office in downtown in downtown Wyandotte that runs Tom McLaughlin, senior vice Wyandotte. The old offices in the parallel to the Detroit River. president of service providers for downtown Wyandotte building were Several parties will use the WMS CommScope, says that the IP video converted into luxury condominiums. fiber network to attract development transition is not a jarring process. The new WMS headend location and redevelopment in the city. CommScope’s professional services is right next to its electric operations “A lot of larger buildings are being division can evaluate the best approach building. It will eventually create built on what would be brownfield to IP video evolution and integrate a campus for its electric and cable land that housed doctors’ offices that multivendor video solutions. divisions. “What has to happen is you are part of the hospital,” LaManes says. LaManes says one key issue with “This project is critical and part of the build a network, which is pretty the current headend is that it lacks the straightforward – you design a network, economic development plan for the city.” same level of reliability as the electric Along the same lines, the fiber and you construct it,” McLaughlin says. and water facilities. “As far as the back office on the video network will benefit the surge in “The voice, video and data business telecommuting that has taken place side, you have to make a change in the have no redundancy like the electric video headend to allow the video to be during the COVID-19 pandemic department or the water department,” he delivered via IP as opposed to QAM.” and will play a role in attracting new says. “If I can’t buy power over the grid, Wyandotte Cable’s move to IP- residents. Already, Wyandotte Cable I can run the power plant, and if I can’t based video is becoming commonplace. is targeting a few condominium filter water, I can always buy it from “The majority of video providers developments for the new FTTH Detroit. However, if something were to in the industry are transitioning to project. happen to our headend, we would be out this or have transitioned to this, so “Several retail, multilevel of the business immediately.” the equipment and technology is condominium developments are Several components of the project straightforward,” McLaughlin says. sprouting up in Wyandotte,” LaManes were bid out, and CommScope is “However, there’s a little change that says. “CommScope is helping us helping WMS develop the bids because has to happen in the headend to allow determine how we’re going to allow they must be offered publicly. The for video via IP as opposed to QAM- this project to be taken into that utility is small and needed assistance based video.” development.” v in evaluating other contractors for MAINTAINING NETWORK building the network. CommScope REDUNDANCY, RELIABILITY helped Wyandotte “not only put Sean Buckley is the editor-in-chief of “The timing for the coax-to-fiber together the bid packs but also evaluate Broadband Communities. He can be transition was perfect,” LeManes says. the bids and come up with ideas that reached at [email protected].
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CMRCL_26789_BroadbandCommunities_MarchAprilFullPage_022521.indd 1 2/25/21 11:37 AM FTTH DEPLOYMENT
Gigabit Fiber Comes to Los Altos Hills
Residents of an underserved town use a micro-scale community model to get gigabit broadband.
By Masha Zager / Broadband Communities
os Altos Hills, in the heart of California’s to install and manage a community-owned Silicon Valley, is the fourth richest fiber network. The committee, intrigued with Ltown in the United States. The green, this suggestion, decided to pursue it. Though rolling hills are populated by tech company the town government did not want to own a executives living in palatial estates. Olympic- network, interested residents got together to form size swimming pools, Zen gardens and Los Altos Hills Community Fiber (LAHCF), a thoroughbred horses abound. It’s an idyllic “mutual benefit corporation” under California place to live, except for one thing: The internet law similar in organization to a homeowners service is terrible. The lack of a commercial association. LAHCF, which owns the network center or multifamily housing, along with being constructed, is run by a volunteer board the wide expanses between houses, makes and funded by its members. It contracts with the town uneconomical for service providers. Next Level Networks, which in turn hires Though pockets of the town have access to subcontractors for the outside-plant construction. cable service, many residents can’t get internet Scott Vanderlip, president of LAHCF, service at all, and others use satellite or fixed explains that his organization recruits, wireless. Even the cable service has proved coordinates and supports broadband champions inadequate to meet pandemic-fueled demands in each neighborhood of the town; these for videoconferencing. champions recruit their neighbors to join the However, all that is about to change. A network. “There are a lot of very interested people dozen or so residents now have access to fiber to here who want to connect,” he says. “Everyone the home, and if all goes well, the entire town – wants to be first in the queue.” In the most about 3,800 households – will have access to it underserved neighborhoods, interest is extremely in the near future. high. Even in better-served neighborhoods, some Several years ago, the town government homeowners are willing to pay for a redundant formed a volunteer subcommittee on emerging line because executives working from home “can’t technologies; its first project, not surprisingly, afford to have outage time.” Vanderlip suspects was to bring better broadband to residents. The these backup connections may soon become the committee issued a request for information homeowners’ primary connections. from providers, asking how they could deliver Next Level works with community gigabit service to the community. organizers, providing tools to assist in generating One respondent to the RFI was a new interest and assessing participation levels and company, Next Level Networks, that proposed costs. When a neighborhood reaches a critical
44 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 Customers have such a sense of pride and ownership in the network that they are turning out to help construction crews with everything from digging trenches to pulling fiber.
mass of committed subscribers, LACHF service fees are shared costs for operating Level Networks, says, “Transparency collects installation fees from them and the network, the monthly service fee is is disruptive.” turns over a payment to Next Level reduced for everyone as new members LAHCF is investigating several Networks so it can begin engineering join. Next Level Networks can provide ideas for financing the upfront and building that neighborhood. In advance estimates of the installation and installation costs, which are on the addition to the upfront installation fee, service fees required for any number of order of $5,000, over a period of several each member pays a monthly fee once subscribers in a neighborhood, so that years. The earliest subscribers have service begins. Next Level Networks is LAHCF can decide for itself when a been people who could afford to pay the service provider in this case, though neighborhood reaches critical mass – the lump sum out of pocket – one even LAHCF is building the network as an which may occur with only a few homes. fronted the costs for his neighborhood open-access network enabling other In the same vein, Next Level Networks to get to critical mass sooner – but internet service providers to deliver also presents LAHCF with other sorts of LACHF or individual members may service over LAHCF’s network. tradeoffs – such as battery backup versus also be able to borrow money from As new members join, a portion of standby generator for each neighborhood HOA financing or home-loan financing their installation fees goes to reimburse headend – so that potential customers organizations. Another idea is for the earlier subscribers so that all members can make these decisions based on their town to float a bond issue. end up paying an equitable amount own needs. As Darrell Gentry, founder Once a neighborhood goes live, Next for installation. Because the monthly and chief technology officer of Next Level Networks takes responsibility for
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 45 FTTH DEPLOYMENT
Construction has begun on two more network extensions, and many more are in the pipeline.
customer installation, billing, customer us to bring in neighborhoods much because the length of each fiber run is support, and internet service delivery. faster,” Vanderlip explains. The fiber fairly short. (Active Ethernet, a point-to- backbone will eventually be extended point architecture, usually requires more TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGES to these neighborhoods, and the radios fiber runs than a PON architecture.) For the project to be feasible at all, will either be left in place as backup “It’s much cheaper than GPON,” LAHCF sought to use dark fiber for equipment or be repurposed to serve Gentry explains, “though it has some backhaul to the internet. This was a new fiber islands. drawbacks” – for example, increased challenge, Vanderlip says, because the To keep FTTH equipment costs expense to repair backbone fiber cuts. incumbent phone and cable companies down, Next Level Networks uses an Gentry says Next Level Networks do not offer the option to lease dark open-source Active Ethernet solution is exploring next-generation PON fiber. Eventually, LAHCF was able to developed by the Telecom Infra solutions to see whether they might lease unused capacity on a fiber cable Project that Facebook Intel, Nokia and make sense for future builds. “We’re originally installed to serve a town others launched in 2016. White-box ultimately agnostic about technology,” school and connect to a data center in switches from EdgeCore Networks he says. “We’re looking for a superior Santa Clara, 25 miles away. and others are equipped with the level of connectivity at the lowest cost.” Another challenge was that the first Open Network Install Environment One advantage of active Ethernet neighborhoods to sign up for FTTH (ONIE) and the SONiC open-source over GPON is that customers who need were not contiguous, and building network operating system that stems multigigabit service can easily access fiber trunks between them at the from the open-networking mindset. it. At present, 10 gigabit customer- outset was not practical. LACHF and The solution originally was intended to premises equipment is relatively Next Level Networks decided to create provide an agnostic, open-source, cost- expensive, and Next Level Networks “fiber islands” and install point-to- effective approach for rapidly scaling does not directly support it (though a point microwave connections, using organizations, but the technology is couple of customers have bought their Siklu radios mounted on housetops, catching on in new market segments and own). However, as prices fall over the to backhaul data from each “island” for diverse applications. For example, next year or two, the company expects to the fiber backbone. “This allows it’s well suited to micro-scale builds to standardize on 10G service.
46 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 Sealed Fiber Splice DEPLOYMENT IN Networks believes its model will work Closures for Rapid LOS ALTOS HILLS in many other situations. The company As befits its micro-scale model, LAHCF is currently in discussions with a variety FTTx Deployments started very small. A pilot project in of potential clients. 2019 connected four customers. After Closest to home is the community supply-chain issues and technical college in Los Altos Hills, which would glitches paused the deployment, the not become part of LAHCF but would backbone is now functional, and the simply lease fiber from Next Level network passes 24 homes. As of press Networks. However, because of the time, 14 of these have subscribed to college’s location in the town, building the network and are now connected; a fiber extension to reach it would help another property owner has asked to accelerate the buildout to homes in join the network, which will be the first the community and bring some of the test of the reimbursement mechanism. “islands” into the fiber network. Construction has begun on two more Two other projects in Silicon network extensions, which will pass a Valley that are currently in the design CFAS Fiber Aerial Enclosures total of 16 more homes. stages, are similar to LAHCF, but in Easily reenterable and environmentally Many more network extensions are communities that are less wealthy, protected strand-mount enclosures for in the pipeline – including one that has though equally spread out. Barron is cost-effective aerial ber drops or splicing already made a financial commitment, confident that micro-scale community several others that are close to doing networks aren’t a solution for only the so, and dozens of others that are in super-rich, especially once homeowner some stage of organizing. “We’re finally financing is available. showing that this can work and be Other potential clients include a successful,” says David Barron, Next Level Networks’ CEO. Barron notes large apartment building in North that customers are so excited about the San Jose and a new single-family- project and have such a sense of pride home development near Sacramento, and ownership in the network that they California. Unlike the micro-scale are turning out to help the construction projects, these networks will cover their FSDC Fiber Sealed Drop Closure crews with everything from digging entire communities – close to 200 units FSDC series closures are fully-sealed and may trenches to pulling fiber. in the case of the apartment building, be strand, pole, pedestal or vault mounted. Built-in adapters support up to 16 connectorized drops, Barron expects to have more than several thousand in the case of the new with 2 internal splice trays for up to 48 splices 200 homes connected to fiber by the development – and provide internet end of 2021, and he thinks the pace service to residents as an amenity. They will accelerate in 2022. “We’ll never get are more similar to the bulk-service 100 percent of the homes in the town,” model common in multifamily housing. he says, “but this was never intended Although COVID-19 delayed to be a universal solution. Insisting on these projects, it also made them universal coverage can delay things; more urgent. “There’s a skyrocketing it’s easier to base coverage on people’s vacancy rate in Silicon Valley,” Barron needs and desires.” This approach can explains, noting that new hires are be politically advantageous compared working remotely rather than moving with municipally owned networks, to the Valley. “Buildings are trying to FORC Fiber Optic Round Closure which sometimes generate pushback differentiate themselves.” Versatile and compact closure with one feed and from taxpayers who object to paying for In Los Altos Hills, Vanderlip two branch ports. Three hinged splice tray infrastructure they don’t plan to use. is enthusiastic about the future of capacity allows up to 36 single fusion splices. Even with a minority of homeowners private, community-owned fiber. Mechanical compression is sealed IP68 rated on the LAHCF network, prices will be “It’s just not going to happen unless reasonable – gigabit service will cost people take it on themselves,” he says. $70 per month once the network gets “There’s nothing crazy about fiber that to about 230 customers, and it will communities couldn’t take on a project continue to go down from there. like this.” v FUTURE PROJECTS Although Los Altos Hills is not a Masha Zager is a contributing editor at typical underserved town, Next Level Broadband Communities.
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 47 CONFERENCE COVERAGE
INCOMPAS 2021 Policy Summit Highlights Regulatory and Network Buildout Issues
The event covered key issues for competitive broadband providers, including the homework gap, net neutrality, broadband mapping and the FCC’s RDOF reverse auction.
By Sean Buckley / Broadband Communities
FCC’s Brendan Carr: Title II Was a Monumental Mistake s the United States nears the end of SMALLER CARRIER IMPACT Joe Biden’s first 100 days, the president Though significant discussion on net neutrality A faces pressure from constituents and centered on how the largest ISPs, such as other leaders to reinstate the net neutrality AT&T and Comcast, would deal with Title II, rules the FCC overturned in 2017. At the time, smaller carriers also had a mixed response to state legislators in California responded by Title II rules. introducing net neutrality legislation at the state Carr said the main issue he had with the level. previous net neutrality rules was reclassifying Now the big question is this: Are there ways ISPs under Title II, which allowed the FCC to reconcile differences regarding net neutrality? to regulate internet service providers as if they Brendan Carr, were utilities. a Republican FCC “If you look back at the two-year commissioner, told experiment with Title II, it proved that it was a monumental mistake,” he said. attendees during the In 2017, 22 small cable providers signed INCOMPAS summit that a letter to the FCC asking for the end of net there should be a “path neutrality, arguing the policy imposed “onerous forward” for net neutrality. burdens” on their businesses. Other providers, “If you separate out the Brendan Carr including Common and Monkeybrains, told question of whether there The Verge in 2017 that they did not have is legal authority from the any issues with net neutrality. Still other rules of the road, you will providers, including central Arkansas provider identify so much common ground,” Carr said. Aristotle, agreed to the basic principles of “In the last Congress, Senators Roger Wicker net neutrality but saw other issues with the and Kyrsten Sinema worked to codify basic Title II classification. rules of the road – no blocking, throttling and Aristotle pointed out that FCC reporting a lot of other rules to put in that bucket – and I requirements such as network performance, would support that.” data caps and other network statistics could cost
48 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 it up to $40,000 a year. LIGHT-TOUCH REGULATION [networks] did in the United States.” Carr did not cite any specific As the pandemic hit, people were forced Carr added that by having a less providers he saw that were affected by to work and study from home, which burdensome regulatory regime, service Title II regulation but emphasized that required more broadband bandwidth. providers are more likely to continue to implementing it again as part of a net Carr cites how well networks were expand networks. neutrality law would be a mistake. able to hold up during the COVID-19 “Our light-touch approach over “If you look at the small pandemic as proof that U.S. regulations the past 20 years ... has stimulated providers trying to build out internet are successful. massive investment in our networks,” infrastructure, the onslaught of Title II “If you look at COVID-19 … I he said. “We have a lot of investment, regulation drove them to pull back on think that was the definite stress test new infrastructure builds going out, investments and network builds,” Carr for our country’s approach to internet more miles of fiber being deployed, said. “At a point in time in this country regulation,” he said. “If you look competition is increasing, and prices when internet connectivity is more at countries that have more heavily are coming down.” important than ever before, it would be regulated internet providers, their a mistake to go back to that.” networks performed far worse than
Rep. Pallone: Universal Broadband Plan Needs to Address Access, Affordability and Skills As chairman of the House Energy and In 2020, the House Energy and last December, which helps households Commerce Committee, Rep. Frank Commerce Committee and the House struggling to pay for internet service Pallone (D-NJ) has a lot on his plate overall laid out a foundation for a during the pandemic. It provides a these days. In addition to helping major infrastructure build called discount of up to $50 per month toward find a way to conquer the COVID-19 the Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2). broadband service for eligible households pandemic and provide relief to rebuild It dedicated more than $100 billion and up to $75 per month for households the economy, access to broadband is a for broadband-related programs. on tribal lands. Eligible households also key issue. Then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch can receive a one-time discount of up The committee’s jurisdiction McConnell did not bring it up in the to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop is far-reaching. It includes issues Senate, however, so it never passed. computer or tablet from participating pertaining to health care, energy, the “Our committee is mainly providers if the providers contribute environment, commerce, food and addressing things directly related to $10–$50 toward the purchase price. drug safety, consumer protection and COVID-19, [such as] crushing the “I encourage all of the internet communications technology. virus, testing and getting out the providers represented by INCOMPAS Pallone, who has held a seat on the vaccine,” Pallone said, adding that he to participate because it’s voluntary,” committee since 1993, told attendees expected that if an economic stimulus Pallone said. during the INCOMPAS summit that package passed, it would include providing broadband to more people is “investment in infrastructure and other GETTING BROADBAND a multifaceted issue. things that will create jobs.” MAPPING RIGHT His colleague House Majority Whip Indeed, the Biden administration’s Broadband mapping has been one of James E. Clyburn launched the new $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill the vexing issues for figuring out where Rural Broadband Task Force, which (H.R. 1319), passed in March, has broadband is available in an area. will work to advance solutions ensuring more than $17 billion in funding that Under the traditional FCC mapping that all Americans have access to high- could subsidize broadband, including a method, a town is considered served speed internet by 2025. by broadband even if only one home “Making broadband universal is our homeowners assistance fund states can tap to subsidize broadband for low- has access. goal,” Clyburn said. “It’s not just about One ray of light came in 2020, running lines to every house but rather income residents during the pandemic. when then-President Donald Trump about a lot of different things.” Meanwhile, Clyburn recently introduced the Accessible, Affordable signed S.1822, the Broadband MOVING FORWARD ACT Internet for All Act, which authorizes Deployment Accuracy and To meet Clyburn’s universal broadband more than $94 billion to provide Technological Availability (DATA) goals, three gaps first must be affordable, high-speed internet access to Act, into law. The legislation is addressed: lack of access to broadband, unserved and underserved communities. designed to increase the accuracy of affordability of service, and lack of That is in addition to the $3.2 the FCC’s broadband availability maps training in using computing equipment billion in the Emergency Broadband by strengthening the broadband data to navigate the internet. Benefit Program Congress approved collection process.
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 49 CONFERENCE COVERAGE
Among other things, the DATA Act and require the FCC to determine how “We did pass the DATA Act, and at requires the FCC to collect granular to structure that process without making the end of the year, we had the money service availability data from wired, it overly burdensome for challengers. to do it,” he said. “The issue now is to fixed wireless and satellite broadband Pallone said broadband mapping, generate the right maps.” providers. It also creates a process passing bills to battle robocalls, and As a next step, he said, “We need for consumers; state, local and tribal helping smaller carriers migrate away to make sure the Biden administration governments; and other groups to from Huawei gear are three cornerstone moves quickly with the maps … used challenge FCC maps with their own data issues resolved in a bipartisan manner. to form funding and policy decisions.”
Sen. Ed Markey: We Need to Bring Finality to the Net Neutrality Debate As the nation “In order to preserve the free and is open under net neutrality, fostering recently open personality of the internet, competition is also important. Markey celebrated the we need strong and enforceable net pointed out that consolidating the 25th anniversary neutrality rules and FCC authority over telecom industry put all the power into of the Telecom broadband access.” the hands of a few players. Act of 1996, He added, “We need to reverse the “While we fight to make the Massachusetts wrong-headed decisions of the Trump internet free and open, we have to Sen. Ed Markey FCC, and that’s what I am going to be ensure competition in the online working to advance.” (D-MA), a key Sen. Ed Markey ecosystem,” he said. “I have long internet freedom ENABLING ACTIVISM, opposed harmful consolidation in the advocate, will PROTECTING CONSUMERS telecom industry, and I will continue to soon introduce a bill to bring back oppose mergers that raise prices, stifle net neutrality. The presence of net neutrality rules gives a voice to activist groups that competition and stifle real innovation.” The proposed new law aims to end Although the Telecommunications the debate over net neutrality and secure want to drive awareness on issues such as gun control and racial equality. Act of 1996 aimed to drive competition, open internet protections for Americans the industry can do more. For example, under Title II regulations. Net neutrality “The reality is that net neutrality is also a civil rights issue,” Markey said. there has been a host of megamergers establishes rules stipulating that service “Today, individuals of all walks of life between the likes of AT&T and providers offering broadband services are carrying the torch of American DirecTV and T-Mobile and Sprint. should treat all internet traffic equally activism on the streets and also online.” Charter acquired Time Warner Cable. and not block, throttle or prioritize The absence of net neutrality could “When we passed the any content or data over others for keep people from expressing their views. [Telecommunications Act of 1996], I commercial purposes. “Without net neutrality, Americans said we would unleash a revolution of In December 2017, then-FCC Chair may be slowed down or stopped when new changes that will be the product of Ajit Pai’s Restoring Internet Freedom they attempt to speak their minds competition,” Markey said. “We have Order was approved in a 3:2 vote along on social media [and] livestream or party lines. Pai’s order rolled back the made great strides toward that goal, organize peaceful protests,” he said. net neutrality protections that Tom but that work remains unfinished “We can’t allow that to happen as our because the technology industry is Wheeler, former chair, put in place. country strives to root out systemic Several states, including increasingly dominated by a powerful racism and other injustices.” handful of companies.” Washington and Oregon, previously Net neutrality should also protect passed legislation similar to the net Another issue that continues to consumers from large companies’ using rise is discriminatory data usage. Data neutrality rules adopted under Wheeler. their personal data. In recent years, California passed a bill in its state discrimination, often referred to as companies have used online algorithms “discrimination by algorithm,” is bias Senate to reestablish net neutrality to monetize people’s privacy. that occurs when predefined data types and prohibit zero-rating programs “It’s time to step back and begin to or data sources are intentionally or in the state. In February, the U.S. put in place the guardrails that protect unintentionally treated differently than Department of Justice dropped its 2018 people from the misuse of power, which others are. lawsuit challenging California’s net the internet has put into the hands neutrality rules. of certain private-sector individuals,” “We must address issues around With a soon-to-be Democratic-led Markey said, adding that power should discriminatory data uses and biased FCC in place and now a Democratic be “in the hands of the individuals who algorithms that are harming vulnerable White House, Markey is keen on use the internet.” populations in our country,” Markey passing a permanent net neutrality law. said. “That means enacting a “I want Congress to bring finality DRIVING COMPETITION, EQUITY comprehensive federal privacy law that to the net neutrality issue,” he said. In addition to making sure the internet includes data use limitations.”
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Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. Features and ability to control connected devices may vary. Connected devices and installation of connected devices not included. NPA228874
Corp_NPA228874 Smart Communities 7.875x10.75 Broadband.indd 1 2/24/21 1:54 PM CONFERENCE COVERAGE FCC’s Starks: RDOF Stakes Are High Geoffrey Starks, $9.2 billion in funds to a diverse set of 30 different applicants, which was a former head traditional wireline service providers, awarded $1.1 billion to provide high- of the FCC’s cable operators, electric cooperatives, speed broadband to 22 states across Enforcement fixed wireless providers and satellite 618,000 locations. Bureau and companies. To ensure accountability Jim Matheson, CEO of the a current for any provider that applies for RDOF National Rural Electric Cooperative commissioner, funds, the FCC has instituted a Association (NRECA), an industry focuses on making rigorous review process. trade organization that represents sure participants in Geoffrey Starks “We require a lot from companies at electric cooperatives bidding for RDOF the Rural Digital the long-form stage for good reasons,” funding, encouraged the FCC to take Opportunity Fund Starks said. “This is a live controversy a close look at satellite and broadband (RDOF) deliver on what they promise. before us, so I don’t want to prejudge wireless players. When the FCC established the those reviews at this stage, but I am “We ask you to direct commission RDOF last February, Starks voted to going to follow this very closely.” staff to undertake a comprehensive approve the plan but dissented in part Questions have been raised, review of the detailed business plans over concerns related to the FCC’s however, about the ability of some and technical showings in the long- mapping mechanism. He cited two applicants, such as LTE Broadband and form applications submitted by issues: distributing funds based on SpaceX, to deliver on their promised winning bidders proposing gigabit- deeply flawed Form 477 mapping data bandwidth claims. tier fixed wireless and hybrid fixed- and a confusing and counterproductive wireless solutions,” Matheson said in approach toward coordinating RDOF LTE Broadband was awarded $1.3 billion in the RDOF auction to provide a letter to the FCC. “We also believe money with state funds. a comparable, in-depth review is Under a two-phase process, the gigabit speeds to rural areas using fixed wireless technology. The provider said it appropriate related to the winning bids FCC will direct up to $20.4 billion of of entities relying on low-Earth-orbit would also use fiber. Meanwhile, several Universal Service Fund money over 10 satellites bidding at the 100/20 Mbps experts questioned how SpaceX plans years to finance broadband networks in tier. It is critical that the FCC ensure to use low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite unserved rural areas. that these bidders possess the technical technology to deliver 100 Mbps services. “I wrote in RDOF that we’re ability to meet their committed service In early February, NTCA—The able to make sure we can hold folks obligations in all areas in which they Rural Broadband Association and accountable, so I do understand why secured winning bids at the funding the Fiber Broadband Association Congress has questions,” Starks said. level in which they bid.” “The stakes are high. We are spending (FBA) submitted to the FCC a Wireless operators are not taking an enormous amount of ratepayer technical assessment and model to this criticism lightly. The Wireless money, and communities have been help the agency review RDOF long- Internet Service Providers Association waiting far too long for this broadband form applications for LEO satellite (WISPA) wrote a letter to the FCC, infrastructure.” broadband networks. Analysis refuting what it said is “unwarranted Starks was hardly alone in citing conducted by Cartesian, based on criticism leveled at certain winners of concerns about RDOF. At the time current publicly available information, the RDOF Phase I auction, and the the FCC voted, fellow commissioner estimates that Starlink will face a RDOF process as a whole.” and now interim FCC Chair Jessica capacity shortfall by 2028, and more WISPA called out NTCA for Rosenworcel, said the agency should than 56 percent of Starlink’s RDOF claiming fixed-wireless access networks know exactly where broadband service subscribers will not be fully served. cannot deliver gigabit speeds. is available before it spends any money. (For more on this, see “LEO Satellites: “Right now, if a single subscriber The association stated that the A Path to Nowhere?” p. 72.) unlicensed 60 GHz band and soon-to- in a census block is identified as NTCA and the Fiber Broadband having broadband, we conclude be-available 6 GHz band devices make Association are not the only broadband is available throughout,” gigabit download wireless speeds a organizations that have raised concerns said Rosenworcel. “That’s not right. We realistic alternative to fiber broadband. about LEO satellites and broadband rush billions of dollars out the door in “WISPs operate across a range of wireless providers’ ability to provide what feels like a broadband publicity frequencies, from TV white space up stunt without taking a broad view of high-speed broadband services. through the millimeter wave bands, what the nation needs.” Electric cooperatives, which had a and while not all of these spectrum large presence in RDOF, cite similar bands are capable of delivering A RIGOROUS REVIEW concerns. Among them is Conexon’s gigabit services, that does not rule out During the first phase of the RDOF Rural Electric Cooperative RDOF provision of such services in many reverse auction, the FCC awarded Consortium, made up of more than targeted areas,” the WISPA letter said.
52 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 GETTING MAPS IN ORDER get its broadband data in order,” Starks whether broadband services are offered Mapping continues to be an Achilles said. “We’ve heard from households to residential and/or business customers. heel for developing broadband plans. that have had the all-too-real but Now that Congress has provided Under the current FCC mapping disappointing experience of looking the funding to create new maps, Starks regime, a community is deemed at that broadband map that says their said he expects to see “quick action.” served even if only one home has home has broadband when they know “We have bipartisan agreement broadband access. that it is not available at their location.” around the importance of getting our Congress passed the Broadband He added, “I was a strong maps in order,” he said. “New maps Deployment Accuracy and supporter of the DATA Act and widely must be completed, especially as we acknowledged the flaws in our maps move from Phase I to Phase II of Technological Availability (DATA) Act both for RDOF as well as for the 5G RDOF and obviously with regard to last March, which aims to reform how mobility fund.” the 5G fund.” the FCC collects, verifies and maps For its part, the FCC adopted Starks and other members of the broadband data and builds upon the additional rules for the DODC to FCC also want the RDOF to reward Digital Opportunity Data Collection ensure the agency collects precise and broadband networks that can support (DODC) report and order that the accurate broadband deployment data. long-term needs. FCC adopted in August 2019. The new rules specify which fixed “When you look historically, we A lack of accurate maps has been a and mobile broadband internet access paid a lot of good money to deliver 4/1 point of frustration for consumers who service providers are required to report Mbps broadband services,” he said. often see that the FCC considers their availability and/or coverage data and “We need to make sure that with that communities served even though they adopt requirements for reporting speed 10-year commitment, we think about can’t get access. and latency for fixed technologies. In what the needs are going forward as “For far too long, states, consumers addition, they require fixed broadband well as address affordability, especially and cities have called on the FCC to internet access providers to report during the pandemic.”
Broadband Providers Battle Inconsistent Local Permitting Obstacles Federal laws have great influence community has different rules about deployment,” said Tony Perkins, COO on governing broadband and fiber how to access public ROW. of Fatbeam. “There is a consistent set of buildouts, but local ordinances, and the Zayo, a large metro and long-haul obstacles we all face, and any effort we permitting processes to get access to a fiber provider to businesses and other can put forward as companies to assist city’s or town’s infrastructure, also pose carriers, found that the permitting with consistency is probably what we various challenges and opportunities situation was different before look forward to the most.” for providers. COVID-19. The same issue exists for wireless The Great Broadband Buildout “The permitting process pre- players that require access to wireline panelists at the INCOMPAS summit COVID-19 was either too opaque or it facilities to backhaul traffic. Though said that though federal investment is changed based on incoming leadership some wireless operators, such as critical, so are smart local solutions that within local governments,” said Brandon Verizon, will build out their own fiber attract competition and investment. Reed, vice president of underlying rights for backhaul, most providers must On a local level, service and government relations for Zayo. “We secure wholesale circuits from third providers typically run into four have also seen it being used as a way to parties in places where they don’t have key issues in public rights of way thwart our ability to negotiate for actual their own wireline facilities. (ROW): permitting, fees, access in and direct costs.” Milo Medin, infrastructure and specialized access to Fatbeam, a fiber provider that has vice president of railroad crossings and bridge crossings. been expanding its presence in the wireless services “In terms of broadband deployment, Pacific Northwest, agrees. at Google, noted there are a lot of obstacles with respect Different several challenges to deploying in the public rights of permitting wireless operators way,” said Ronald W. Del Sesto Jr., a processes in face. partner at the law firm Morgan Lewis. different locations “There is one “hamper our network, which is Milo Medin PERMITTING INCONSISTENCIES ability to be the wired network, REMAIN consistent with and there’s a little A key issue service providers face when delivery, and this bit of wireless at the end of it,” he said. they move to deploy fiber and wireless can contribute to Tony Perkins “There’s at least one large city that has facilities in a town or city is that every capital costs of stopped processing permits to deploy
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 53 CONFERENCE COVERAGE wireless infrastructure in the middle of offerings and leasing-up anchor builds. The interactions between the pandemic, which has led to a lot of wireless builds. providers and permitting authorities frustration for wireless operators trying “We approach the permitting changed, in part because authorities to generate new capacity by deploying process as all relationship-based,” were navigating how to work at home. new base stations.” said Kelly McGriff, vice president Some providers found that there Medin added that wireless franchise and deputy general counsel at Uniti. were delays in getting decisions made fees can also hold up deployments. “We try to help people with their task on simple issues, such as fees and “Many communities have wireless and to understand we are trying to permit costs. franchise fees that can be quite large,” provide a service to the citizens in Despite the challenges of the he said. “Some of these fees were their community.” pandemic, Zayo, for one, saw an designed for cellular operators, but Though Uniti acknowledges there increase in sales of dark fiber, Ethernet fixed-wireless operators have different are common challenges with permitting and connectivity it sells to carrier business models, so this can have and accessing ROWs, such as fees and and business customers during the consequences that can retard wireless technical ordinances, these issues are pandemic. Reed said that when the infrastructure deployment.” not insurmountable. pandemic shuttered businesses and Uniti Group, which has been “There are challenges at the local, forced businesses to have workers work county and state level with getting expanding its wireline metro and long- remotely, the service provider made a access to rights of way, which are all haul fiber networks organically and point to collaborate with local cities obstacles we all try to work around,” through acquisitions, said getting to and municipalities to ensure constant McGriff said. “Brandon from Zayo know local town and city permitting network connectivity. and I have been to many late-night city officials is important. “As people faced office closures and council meetings where we get to know the reality of stay-at-home orders set This comes as the provider noted them and when you do that, it paves in, the hard work of telecom service strong fourth-quarter bookings for the way a bit.” its wireless offerings as a result of providers [was clear]. They needed to network densification efforts and the NAVIGATING THE PANDEMIC be on the front lines and accessing broader rollout of 5G services within The pandemic has impacted how streets, sidewalks and highways to its markets. Uniti also sees increased service providers collaborate with deploy what became not a need, but a demand for its non-wireless service communities and attempt network demand,” he said. COVID-19 also placed a challenge on Fatbeam’s network build efforts. “As we go into each market, we try to find ways to partner with EXPERT PERSPECTIVES entities that we’re engaging with and COVID-19 did not help this much,” “We want to make sure we get unserved areas equipped with broadband Perkins said. “There was some lack of and get people connected.” resources and some decisions being made in different municipalities with – Sen. Bob Latta (R), Ohio fee and cost structures.” Uniti acknowledges that COVID-19 “Today, 12 million children lack the home internet access and devices they created challenges. The provider and need to fully participate in virtual learning and that’s simply unacceptable.” other members of the Broadband – Sen. Ed Markey (D), Massachusetts Deployment Advisory Committee worked through these issues during the “Leaving households disconnected will hurt our country’s ability to rebuild first days of the pandemic. the economy and our workforce, diminish our ability to keep Americans “Many municipalities were hitting and our health care systems safe by advancing telemedicine, and diminish pause on things and how they process the education horizon of our young learners everywhere.” permits and receive payments when – Geoffrey Starks, FCC Commissioner people are working from home,” McGriff said. “We have approached “Laws are blueprints and snapshots in time.” all [partnerships] on a case-by-case basis and have been able to overcome – Mignon Clyburn, former FCC Commissioner those challenges.” v “One Touch Make Ready (OTMR) was a great first step, but we need to http://communication.walkerfirst.com/bbcmagazine_march2021 focus on what the evolution of OTMR looks like.” Sean Buckley is the editor-in-chief of – Tony Perkins, COO, Fatbeam Broadband Communities. He can be reached at [email protected].
54 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021
http://communication.walkerfirst.com/bbcmagazine_march2021 HOT PRODUCTS
BROADBAND COMMUNITIES’ 20th Annual List Of Leading Broadband Technologies and Services
The latest offerings from top broadband hardware and software suppliers, distributors and service providers
CALIX 2777 Orchard Parkway San Jose, CA 95134 W: www.calix.com Contact: Carl Meyerhoefer E: [email protected] Customers: Telcos, Cable TV, Municipalities, Electric Co-ops Products/Services: Customer-Premises Equipment
CENTURYLINK 100 CenturyLink Dr. Monroe, LA 71203 P: 564-888-2017 W: www.centurylink.com/connectedcommunities CenturyLink technology (including fiber), services, Contact: Katie Cooper features and offers are not available everywhere. E: [email protected]
Customers: MDUs/PCOs CHARLES INDUSTRIES, LLC – Products/Services: Internet and Video Services/Programming AN AMPHENOL COMPANY 1450 American Lane, 20th Floor Schaumburg, IL 60173 P: 847-806-6300 W: www.charlesindustries.com Contact: Steve Skiest CenturyLink ON is our recommended customer solution for E: [email protected] properties and communities, giving them an edge over their competition. Wi-Fi ready your property. Residents can access Customers: Telcos, Cable TV, Municipalities Wi-Fi the moment they move in and easily sign up for home Products/Services: Passives – Outside Plant, Customer- entertainment services. Premises Equipment
56 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 Charles Industries’ new Fiber Optic Dome Closures (FODC) are readily available, cost- fasteners are needed to attach fiber. Clearfield packages all the effective, fiber splice necessary fasteners in one convenient kit. solutions developed to For consumers willing to take a do-it-yourself approach, help users complete their FTTH projects on time and on the Home Deployment Kit enables a contactless installation, budget. The FODC family of closures comes in three sizes. keeping residents and fiber technicians at a safe distance. FODC-A is a small closure offering a 144-splice capacity. Home Deployment Kits include four choices of an outside FODC-B is medium-sized and can accommodate up to 288 plant test access point. In addition, every Home Deployment splices. The third size, FODC-AS, is a drop dome closure Kit includes a consumer-friendly CraftSmart Fiber Outlet that incorporates an internal SC adapter frame and up to for inside wiring, fiber patch cords and FieldShield drop fiber 48 splices available with integrated 1x4, 1x8 or 1x16 PLC as needed. splitters for distributed split architectures. These environmentally sealed, robust solutions use economical compression sealing technology that provides an IP68 rating to allow use for any deployment topology, including aerial, pole, wall or pedestal mounting, as well as below-grade in a handhole or vault. FODC ship fully configured with splice Private equity GrouP LookinG to trays, sealing grommets and all other needed accessories to install, seal and splice fibers. For more information, visit –or– www.charlesindustries.com/main/te_fodc.html. invest CLEARFIELD, INC. Purchase 7050 Winnetka Ave. N. BroadBand infrastructure systems Minneapolis, MN 55428 and/or Provide exPansion caPitaL P: 763-476-6866 W: www.SeeClearfield.com • CATV Systems • Wireless Systems Contact: Mickey Smith • Fiber Systems • Municipal Networks E: [email protected] • Telcos • Data Centers Customers: MDUs/PCOs, Telcos, Cable TV, Municipalities, Electric Co-Ops, Government Products/Services: Active Electronics – Wireline, Passives – Outside Plant, Passives – Inside Plant, Customer-Premises Equipment, Optical Fiber and Cable
Designed to streamline and ease FTTH deployments, Clearfield’s Home Deployment Kits include everything you need to connect a home to fiber – all in one box. Truck rolls If you are interested in monetizing your investment are minimized and turnup is fast, reducing installation time or seek expansion capital, please contact: by up to 30 minutes per home. 512-266-1440 Home Deployment Kits complete the fiber connection Or send a message to both emails: from outside the home to the customer equipment inside the [email protected] • [email protected] home. Because home styles vary greatly, different types of
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 57 HOT PRODUCTS
CORNING OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS at reduced prices. For owners, DISH Fiber provides the 4200 Corning Place opportunity to increase net operating income by offering Charlotte, NC 28216 internet and TV through a fee revenue model that beats W: www.corning.com/fttp traditional revenue sharing every time. DISH Fiber also Contact: Alyson Moore provides a common network for connecting property- E: [email protected] managed smart devices that help increase operational Customers: Telcos, Municipalities, Electric Co-ops efficiency and make units more attractive to residents. Products/Services: Passives – Outside Plant; Passives – Delight your residents and boost your bottom line with a Inside Plant; Passive Optical LAN; Planning, Design or communitywide Wi-Fi and TV solution from one nationwide Construction; Training; Optical Fiber and Cable provider with DISH Fiber. One network, endless possibilities.
Introducing Evolv Solutions with Pushlok Technology – this ESPI is the FTTx preconnectorized 630 E. Lincoln Ave. breakthrough you’ve been waiting Clay Center, KS 67432 for. It’s all you need, wherever you P: 785-777-2707 connect. The Pushlok connector W: www.espicorp.com is an entirely different hardened Contact: Ryan Emerson connector form factor with a E: [email protected] compact, durable, craft-friendly Customers: Telcos, Cable TV, Municipalities, Electric Co-ops design. The single-fiber connector leverages an SC APC- Products/Services: Active Electronics – Wireline, Active compatible ferrule; is backward compatible with widely Electronics – Wireless, Customer-Premises Equipment, deployed, threaded OptiTap ports with a field-installed Other Managed Services adapter, and can be converted for use with standard SC APC patch panels. Evolv terminals are a quarter of the size Quality Products. Simplified Installation. of conventional preconnectorized products and designed to During the planning process, what are the most important go anywhere – on poles, facades or strands and in pedestals qualities you look for in an uninterruptible power supply and handholes. Maximize the flexibility and minimize the (UPS) before deploying to your network? stress of your FTTx If you pose this question to plant managers or field deployment. Save technicians, both ease of installation and product quality time, save space, save generally tends to be near the top of their list. Why? They are infrastructure, save busy. It is imperative to finish the job quickly and move on to inventory. Less of the next, without having to return for any follow-up repairs. everything, except Cutting down the duration of time technicians spend quality – Evolv on-site and reducing the number of future truck rolls is a Solutions enable up measurable goal for any telco operation. The implementation to $500 in savings per location.
DISH FIBER 9601 S. Meridian Blvd. Englewood, Colorado 80112 P: 888-422-3246 W: www.dish.com/fiber Customers: MDUs/PCOs Products/Services: Internet and Video Services/ Programming
DISH Fiber is a game-changing, managed Wi-Fi solution for multifamily communities that provides all residents with immediate access to premium, gig-enabled Wi-Fi and live streaming TV upon move in. Residents benefit from reliable and secure Wi-Fi networks accessible propertywide and 24 channels of live streaming TV, as well as the option to easily upgrade programming and entertainment equipment
58 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 of quality, longer-life UPS equipment that is easy to install HEXATRONIC and improves network resiliency is one of the easiest ways to 4040 Finn Way, Suite 240 achieve that goal. Lexington, KY 40517 During the design and build phase, the network designers W: www.hexatronic.com should consider the overall long-term costs once the system is Contact: Beni Blell, VP of Sales deployed. When reviewing costs, it is tempting to eliminate E: [email protected] UPS units from the network design or choose a cheap one, Customers: MDUs/PCOs, Telcos, Hospitality, but this inevitably leads to increased truck rolls and time Municipalities, Residential on-site – making the “cheap” solution turn into the “costs-a- Products/Services: fortune” solution in the long run. Optical Fiber and Cable In previous years, a 30-minute disruption in service may have been acceptable. But in today’s world, making compromises on the equipment powering your network has the potential of affecting your customers’ livelihoods. Thus, the utilization of reliable, easy-to-install back-up power Viper and Raptor Take a Bite Out of Fiber System Costs equipment to the residence or business is vitally important. Hexatronic offers a full line of blown-fiber microcables with For solutions to your UPS needs and input during the demonstrated highest levels of performance and reliability. design stage, visit www.espicorp.com. You’ll find a number Compared with traditional fiber cables, microcabling systems of solutions and alternatives and contact information for sales provide overall lower labor costs and a reduction in materials and production engineers. and installation time with the fastest blowing speeds. Hexatronic’s series of Viper microcables and Raptor nanocables FINLEY ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC. offer the smallest size and longest blowing distances. 104 East 11th Street Viper microcables are based on a slim, loose tube design Lamar, MO 64759 with up to 12 polyimide tubes per cable, carrying up to 432 P: 417-682-5531 total fibers. These robust cables are ideal for long-distance, W: www.FinleyUSA.com air-blown installations in microducts with an inner diameter Contact: Molly White range of as little as 5.5 up to 16 mm. The Viper cables have E: [email protected] excellent bend performance, are impact-resistant and perform in an extremely wide temperature range (-45 degrees Celsius Customers: Telcos, Municipalities, Electric Co-ops to +70 degrees Celsius). Compared with other cables installed Products/Services: Other Managed Services; Planning, in larger ducts, the Viper series also lowers costs of handling Design or Construction and transportation. Broadband is no The slim nanocables in Hexatronic’s new Raptor series longer a luxury. It’s a can be installed in microducts with an inner diameter of 3.5 necessary utility, as the to 12 mm and fiber counts to 24. Nanocables minimize the COVID-19 pandemic initial investment and at the same time provide a future- made apparent. proof network that is easy to expand, upgrade and maintain. Whether you’re a rural Their main applications are fiber-access networks, such as electric cooperative, FTTH and FTTA. With an integrated strength member that a municipality, a adds increased stability and robustness, this cable is ideal for telecommunications blowing up to 1 km or more. For short distances it can easily company or another be pushed by hand. organization exploring Hexatronic manufactures complete end-to-end fiber opportunities, passive systems, including microducts and your goal is the same: connectivity solutions along with training. find the optimal way to bring high-speed broadband to your Along with a 20-year system warranty, community and close the digital divide. After more than 67 this makes Hexatronic the ideal years and hundreds of implementations, Finley has seen just partner for your fiber about everything, and crafted the right solutions for even infrastructure needs. the toughest deployment challenges. We are with you from beginning to end, starting with building a business case, finding funding and identifying the right technical approach. Then we see your project through to the end, becoming a trusted extension of your team. We stand beside you, rolling up our sleeves and tackling the challenges with you, every step of the way.
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 59 HOT PRODUCTS
IQGEO MAXCELL 1670 Broadway, Suite 2215 600 Plum Creek Drive Denver, CO 80202-4814 Wadsworth, OH 44281 P: 720-577-4732 P: 888-387-3828 W: www.ospinsight.com W: www.maxcell.us Contact: AJ Hamner Contact: Melissa Hennigan E: [email protected] E: [email protected] Customers: MDUs/PCOs, Telcos, Municipalities, Electric Customers: MDUs/PCOs, Telcos, Cable TV, Hospitality, Co-ops Municipalities, Electric Co-ops Products/Services: Passives – Outside Plant; Passives – Inside Products/Services: Passives – Outside Plant, Structured Plant; Planning, Design or Construction; Customer- Wiring Facing Software MaxCell Premise is our latest product innovation for in- Unparalleled Port-to-Port Documentation building and confined-space applications. Improve the operations of your fiber network by moving MaxCell Premise meets all specifications needed for in- from messy spreadsheets and drawings to the intelligence of building enterprise applications, data centers or confined-space OSPInsight. With an OSPInsight documented network, you builds, including being UL 2024 (OFCR FT-6) listed, low can plan and design new parts of your network, run reports smoke, zero halogen (LSZH), fire retardant and halogen free. on the relationship between network elements, and explore The newest MaxCell Premise products are made for use details of a route from port-to-port with ease. in ducts ranging from 1.25 inches to 4 inches in diameter. Configured in one- to three-cell packs, each cell has different- colored pull tapes pre-installed for simplified installation. MaxCell Premise is also available in a self-supporting version, with a strong and flexible pre-installed, integrated, galvanized support wire. Where the cable pathway is overly dense and space is at a premium, MaxCell Premise allows new cables to be installed easily, eliminating the need for rigid conduit. In cases of short runs, cables often can be pulled into place by hand, saving time and expense.
OFS 2000 Northeast Expressway Norcross, GA 30071 KGPCO P: 860-678-6522 3305 Highway 60 West W: www.ofsoptics.com Faribault, MN 55021 Contact: Michael Fortin P: 800-328-5142 E: [email protected] W: www.kgpco.com Customers: MDUs/PCOs, Telcos, Cable TV, Hospitality, Contact: Kristen Kohler Municipalities, Electric Co-ops E: [email protected] Products/Services: Optical Fiber and Cable
Customers: Telcos, Cable TV, Municipalities, Electric Co-ops Boost Your Bandwidth Behind the Wall Products/Services: Active Electronics – Wireline; Active Introducing the InvisiLight EZ-Hide Behind-the-Wall Electronics – Wireless; Passives – Outside Plant; Passives – Module, enabling virtually invisible Inside Plant; Customer-Premises Equipment; Structured optical fiber installation inside Wiring; Passive Optical LAN; Test Equipment; Planning, homes and multiple Design or Construction; Optical Fiber and Cable dwelling units, KGPCo can help build a broadband network that is scalable, or for passive flexible, cost-effective and secure. With more than 45 years of optical LAN telecommunications experience, thousands of OEM partners, applications. The InvisiLight EZ- $2,350 million-plus in inventory and a nationwide network of Hide Behind-the-Wall Module distribution centers, we have the supply chain and installation can further reduce services to build and maintain your network and connect the footprint your customers. Learn more at www.kgpco.com. of InvisiLight
60 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 ILU installations by up to 50 percent by hiding the spool door (up to 800 feet on existing telephone pairs or 2,800 feet behind the wall and using the InvisiLight 600 micron fiber. on RG6 coaxial cable and splitters). The GAM is a carrier- The original InvisiLight ILU Solution offered an innovative grade, MEF CE 2.0-compliant, fully featured proven product yet simple process to reach indoor optical network terminals in service at many carriers. It delivers real-time gigabit speeds (ONTs) by adhering a 0.9 mm diameter optical fiber into the and has dynamic bandwidth allocation. It is also used for crevices along ceilings and walls or moldings and walls. The managed business services and can effectively serve mixed-use InvisiLight EZ-Hide Behind-the-Wall Module uses an even buildings. Increasingly, the GAM helps counties and owners smaller 0.6 mm optical fiber and installs with the same simple of subsidized and assisted-living units cost-effectively close the process and tools as the original. The compact EZ-Hide spool digital divide. can dispense up to 40 meters of fiber as it is moved along the For outdoor deployments, it is used with reverse power deployment path to the ONT location yet still fits inside a feed (eliminating the need for local power) to serve home common behind-the-wall gang box. clusters and for Rural Digital Opportunity Fund deployments using existing outdoor wiring from the curb into the home. POSITRON ACCESS SOLUTIONS The GAM is scalable and cost-effective even with minimal 5101 Buchan Street, Suite 220 initial subscriber take rates. It is less complex to deploy and Montreal, QC H4P 2R9, Canada operate than G.fast, GPON or DOCSIS. It is installed and P: 888-577-5254 activated in hours and is ideal for telcos, cable companies, W: www.positronaccess.com ISPs, municipalities and property owners. E: [email protected] Developed, manufactured and supported in North America. Customers: MDUs/PCOs, Telcos, Cable TV, Hospitality, Municipalities, Electric Co-ops Products/Services: Active Electronics – Wireline, Passives – SPECTRUM COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS Outside Plant, Customer-Premises Equipment 400 Atlantic Street Stamford, CT 06901 W: www.spectrumcommunitysolutions.com Contact: Cindy Heitsman E: [email protected] Customers: MDUs/PCOs Deliver gigabit services at 20 percent of the cost to residents Products/Services: Internet and Video Services/ in brownfield buildings in hours. Programming High-speed bandwidth is an essential need for everyone, especially with telework, remote learning and entertainment needs. High internet speeds increase property values by 3 percent and rents by up to 8 percent. Carriers can deliver THE BEST ENTERTAINMENT FOR YOUR RESIDENTS bandwidth to these buildings but cannot distribute it to Spectrum TV offers the best-in-class the occupants without costly capex and disruptive entertainment options available to your construction to install in-building fiber. DOCSIS cannot residents, providing excellent value for deliver adequate bandwidth. your property. Positron’s G.hn access multiplexor (GAM) extends fiber or fixed-wireless gigabit services in 90 percent of residential Spectrum Community Solutions is adapting to consumer buildings not wired with fiber. G.hn delivers gigabit services trends to provide your residents with innovative services. over existing in-building wiring of MDUs and MTUs to each The Spectrum TV app gives residents the latest and greatest entertainment, making your property a hot commodity with 300 Live TV channels and more than 30,000 on-demand TV shows and movies. The Spectrum TV app is an IP video solution, which removes the need for Spectrum receivers. The app can be downloaded on Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV or iOS Android mobile devices. Residents can also access on SpectrumTV.com. The app or browser recognizes when a customer is connected to the property Wi-Fi, so residents can simply open the app or a browser to instantly watch TV without having to manually sign in.
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 61 HOT PRODUCTS
WESCO/ANIXTER the job done right. Building on our long-term reputation 225 West Station Square Drive, Suite 700 as a leader in end-to-end solutions for fiber optic networks, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 WESCO and Anixter have the innovative products and P: 412-454-2200 services as well as the expertise to help you meet the W: www.wesco.com exploding demand for bandwidth and capacity. Contact: Stephanie Beck No matter what your fiber network’s size or architecture E: [email protected] is, WESCO and Anixter have a vast portfolio of field-proven products to meet your project needs. Our knowledgeable Customers: MDUs/PCOs, Telcos, Cable TV, Hospitality, product management team has the experience and problem- Municipalities, Electric Co-ops solving capabilities to connect you to the right solution for your Products/Services: Active Electronics – Wireline; Active project. We can assist in technology selection, bill of materials Electronics – Wireless; Video Headends and Related creation, product training, on-site installation and trouble- Equipment; Passives – Outside Plant; Passives – Inside shooting. Visit www.tvcinc.com/c/fiber-simple-fiber-experts. Plant; Customer-Premises Equipment; Structured Wiring; Passive Optical LAN; Test Equipment; Planning, Design or Construction; Training; Back-Office Software; Optical WIDEOPEN NETWORKS, INC. Fiber and Cable 2000 Kraft Drive, Suite 2150 Blacksburg, VA 24060 P: 540-552-2150 W: www.wideopennetworks.com Contact: Dave Sobotta E: [email protected] Customers: Municipalities Products/Services: Other Managed Services; Planning, WESCO and Anixter can help streamline your project with Design or Construction a variety of end-to-end supply-chain solutions that will save you time and money, including warehouse staging, material staging (both on-site and off-site), product kitting, just-in- WideOpen time delivery, VMI services, project planning/management/ make-ready, cable cutting and customized e-commerce Networks solutions. Our unmatched customer service and account WideOpen Networks designs, builds and operates the world’s management professionals ensure your fiber build projects best open-access networks. We can design and build fiber to stay on budget and on schedule. the home, high-performance fixed-point wireless networks, If you’re establishing a new fiber network or expanding and fully integrated hybrid fiber/wireless networks. During an existing one, our decades of experience will help you get 2020, we continued to provide our managed networks services 24/7/365 to nine networks in three states without any staff or network downtime.
62 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 Our network design services include network technical open access for more than a decade. Some of our municipally design, business model development, financial planning, owned open-access networks have now been successfully staffing plans, operational expense projections, and full operating for more than 12 years, with multiple providers network operations plans. offering local residents and businesses true choice in For communities seeking assistance with the development providers, services and packages. v of open-access networks, we have been the U.S. pioneers in
TOP TECHNOLOGIES AND SERVICES FROM LEADING BROADBAND INDUSTRY PLAYERS CUSTOMERS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TELCOS CABLE TV TRAINING MDUS/PCOS EQUIPMENT HOSPITALITY CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMMING MUNICIPALITIES ELECTRIC CO-OPS TEST EQUIPMENT TEST STRUCTURED WIRING PASSIVE OPTICAL LAN PASSIVE PLANNING, DESIGN OR OR DESIGN PLANNING, BACK-OFFICE SOFTWARE BACK-OFFICE PASSIVES – INSIDE PLANT INSIDE – PASSIVES OPTICAL FIBER AND CABLE AND OPTICAL FIBER OTHER MANAGED SERVICES MANAGED OTHER PASSIVES – OUTSIDE PLANT OUTSIDE – PASSIVES CUSTOMER-FACING SOFTWARE CUSTOMER-FACING VIDEO HEADENDS AND RELATED RELATED AND HEADENDS VIDEO INTERNET AND VIDEO SERVICES / / SERVICES VIDEO AND INTERNET ACTIVE ELECTRONICS – WIRELINE ELECTRONICSACTIVE – ACTIVE ELECTRONICS – WIRELESS ELECTRONICSACTIVE – COMPANY EQUIPMENT CUSTOMER-PREMISES Calix 3 3 3 3 3 CenturyLink 3 3
Charles Industries, LLC – 3 3 3 3 3 an Amphenol Company Clearfield, Inc. 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Corning Optical 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Communications DISH Fiber 3 3 ESPI 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Finley Engineering 3 3 3 3 3 Company, Inc. Hexatronic 3 3 3 3 3 IQGeo 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 KGPCo 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 MaxCell 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 OFS 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Positron Access Solutions 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Spectrum Community 3 3 Solutions WESCO/Anixter 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
WideOpen Networks, Inc. 3 3 3
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 63 TECHNOLOGY
Building Competitive Advantage With Automation
ISPs can use autonomous technologies to help networks grow with companies as their business needs and markets change.
By Sean Robertson / ADTRAN
ince the introduction of the first public the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and switched telephone network, networks machine learning (ML) to drive automation and Shave continually evolved. Through the self-healing networks. various stages of development – from fixed To succeed with AI and ML, companies endpoints in the early days of the internet must have full network visibility. The to today’s broadband networks that connect networking community hungers for disruptive mobile users to massive data centers and ideas to address the unsustainable economics bandwidth behemoths such as Netflix, Amazon of present-day networks. Today, operational and Facebook – networks have adjusted to complexity is increasing exponentially as accommodate new demands. The once-static traffic continues to explode and new devices infrastructure is undergoing a more profound proliferate. Meanwhile, rising operational costs transformation than ever before. and slower time to revenue squeeze margins for The latest incarnation is autonomous traditional service providers. networks, a trend that has been building The answer to this problem is taking shape in for some time. An autonomous network the form of AI-driven networks, a new approach runs without much human intervention; it model that will eliminate operational complexity can configure, monitor and maintain itself regardless of the type and volume of network independently. As business and residential traffic. ISPs must act quickly to incorporate subscribers’ networks become more complex disruptive technology that advances AI and than ever, internet service providers (ISPs) ML concepts to transform static networks into can harness this evolution of networking by dynamic, programmable environments that are committing to providing networks that can predictive, proactive and automated. grow with companies as their business needs The reality is that to be successful, and markets change. companies cannot build a new future on old In addressing the needs of tomorrow, ISPs technologies. The days of closed, proprietary must understand that today’s world is hyper- networks and vendor lock-in are over; the connected, reliant on complex infrastructures market demands new solutions that are open, and multicloud environments, connected intelligent, agile and secure. The investment through a mesh of networks. But modern companies make into any new technology also network demands create new challenges for requires that they leverage their resources to ISPs. To advance, teams need to start moving quickly learn and understand the power of away from manual efforts and start harnessing automating workflows. Fortunately, the ability
64 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 for ISPs to automate and optimize The days of closed, proprietary networks and operations on the fly and build sustainably within a standards-based vendor lock-in are over; the market demands approach is becoming the new norm, which is exactly what data-driven ISPs new solutions that are open, intelligent, agile need today. and secure. MOVING BEYOND PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS AI-driven networks will take the tedious job of data mining out of key to addressing the digital customer and business. If you can imagine it, the equation, focusing on proactive experience revolution. you can build it. problem resolutions. As ISPs get • Programmable: Combine the full into more complex things in which DEFINING THE FUTURE telemetry of the network on a single people don’t really understand all the NETWORK WORKFORCE platform, retaining unique data to correlations or how they correlate, Advancements in automation and power applications that can provide AI can help draw the correlation – in AI technologies often invoke fears exclusive insights or integrate with a fraction of the time it would take of job displacement. Conversely, the an organization's key processes – network operations teams. The future introduction of AI will free network making teams more effective. network will self-configure, monitor, staff from repetitive manual tasks, • Scalable: Understand what’s manage, correct, defend and analyze meaning customer support personnel happening in increasingly complex with little human intervention, will spend less time troubleshooting and interdependent systems so providing more time for service performance issues and running engineers can find and fix issues providers to innovate their businesses. networks and more time working fast and know where to drill in Traffic spikes on today’s networks strategically and developing innovation further and investigate root causes can cause goliath challenges in that secures businesses and drives of trouble. determining the problem, ranging them forward. from a new video game release to As the internet of things (IoT) Where ML shows its real value widespread streaming of national gathers steam, these emerging software is in the ability to rely less on vast events to distributed denial of tools will be in high demand to make amounts of data and more on top-down service (DDoS) attacks. Luckily, sense of the deluge of incoming data. reasoning that more closely mimics ML algorithms are becoming more For ISPs and technology vendors, it how humans approach problems and intelligent, interpreting vast amounts of will be imperative to implement ML tasks. ML products will have more network traffic behavior data to predict algorithms that filter out the normal efficient reasoning, ready expertise and performance issues before subscribers and allow service providers to focus common sense. are affected. The reality of networking on the anomalous, the unexpected and As technology vendors continue software today is that ISPs need tools the dangerous. to substantially invest in AI and ML that intelligently analyze and adapt, Companies considering choosing development to set the foundation for providing immediate security during a vendor with AI and ML claims to autonomous networks, the feedback DDoS attacks and increased bandwidth their technology should be sure to from early adopters will form the basis to support traffic surges. investigate the company’s longevity of AI-driven tools for the next five in the market, along with its strategic years. Transforming networks into THE JOURNEY TO PROACTIVE software partners, to evaluate whether dynamic, programmable environments PROBLEM RESOLUTION a long-term customer relationship offers that are predictive, proactive and AI-driven networks powered by ML an easy ability to scale over time. Those automated will be key for service algorithms will be the end state of a that make the early investment in AI providers of the future. v progressive journey beginning with capabilities need to understand that in data collection and visualization, the not-so-distant future, applications leading to automated event correlation Sean Robertson is a product marketing and hardware technology will become and programmability and allowing manager at ADTRAN. He is a seasoned less artificial and more intelligent. networks to run autonomously. SaaS marketer focused on building The ability for ISPs to leverage When selecting a partner to define artificial intelligence and machine their software investments to a future network, companies should learning products. automatically intervene and correct consider three critical components: issues that they identify before they • Open: Unlock new innovations for become noticeable to subscribers will be your unique software environment
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 65 TECHNOLOGY
The Key to Boosting Network Resilience? It’s in the Data.
Data-driven insights reduce network downtime and repair costs.
By Gordon Smith / Sagent
f enterprises didn’t fully appreciate the bypass the most effective and affordable importance of their networks at the means of boosting network reliability to meet Ibeginning of 2020, they do now. The the moment. The best results come when emergence of COVID-19 and the shutdowns that organizations first reduce avoidable repairs. followed led to traffic spikes of up to 70 percent and put large network operators front and center AVOIDABLE OUTAGES PLAGUE in the eyes of businesses and consumers. NETWORK OPERATORS Today, companies of all sizes remain I’ll share the bad news first: Approximately dependent on collaboration technologies, cloud one-third of network repairs performed are completely avoidable. I have seen this across services, remote access and other solutions – all numerous clients and industries. Trucks roll, of which rely on the network. field technicians diagnose equipment as faulty, Unfortunately, 2020’s myriad challenges the hardware is removed, and we receive it for followed a period of reduced investment in repair. Repeatedly, we find that there is nothing network infrastructure. According to a Global physically wrong. Network Insights Report from NTT, by 2019, This has a huge impact on downtime. In almost half (47.9 percent) of businesses’ network the best-case scenario, a spare is immediately assets were aging or obsolete, up from 13.1 installed when the purportedly failed hardware percent in 2017. is removed. In the worst case, network gaps Enterprises are, in many cases, reaping remain while a replacement is obtained, and a the network failures they’ve sown through technician returns to make the fix. Either way, inattention. Opengear reports that nearly one- if a component critical to network function goes third (31 percent) of companies lost at least down, network reliability probably takes a hit $1 million to network outages in the past 12 until field services arrive. months. Network engineers and IT teams are A variety of issues contribute to the becoming more and more concerned about prevalence of unnecessary repairs. They run the network resilience as downtime increases in gamut from misconfiguration to inadequate both frequency and cost. technician training on equipment to ineffective It must be said, there’s no problem with life cycle management strategies. And there incorporating older networking equipment, can be variation by product manufacturer assuming appropriate maintenance and life and model, installation location, the group cycle assessments are in place. To the contrary, of technicians serving an area, and even rushing to upgrade to the latest hardware – the weather in a particular region. Think such as hurrying to adopt network automation Minnesota’s cold winters or Arizona’s hot and other advanced systems – threatens to summers and the impacts on product life span.
66 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 With the large array of factors, their repair facilities, and original a training issue with one team. hardware failure patterns can be lost equipment manufacturers (OEMs) Perhaps the manual is confusing, in the noise, leaving network operators can be similarly closed-mouthed and word of mouth among these to resolve issues on a case-by-case about the results of warranty technicians has spread an inaccurate basis. This is less efficient than returns. The best response is for interpretation of a certain step. systemic interventions and doesn’t network operators to select vendor Once this shortcoming is identified, empower the organization to steadily partners with full transparency it is relatively easy to develop a improve resilience. policies in place or work to negotiate quick configuration guide or offer Greater leverage can be achieved desired reporting mechanisms as additional training. As configuration with appropriate hardware failure data part of the next contract renewal accuracy increases, the organization analysis, but the necessary information with existing providers. will gain substantial return on these collection and business intelligence tools • Analyze across multiple modest investments. are surprisingly rare. These features are variables. With data in hand – • Continue to refine. As the most not part of traditional network analytics preferably within a powerful common and easily resolved causes solutions. There are, however, options business analytics tool – it’s time of network outage are eliminated, available in the third-party maintenance to dig in. A purpose-built analytics network operators can start market, or systems can be built by a system will provide a wealth of focusing on more isolated issues network operator determined to be more reporting features designed to and those with longer-range resilient than the competition. Here are highlight common causes of response opportunities, such the outlines of such a solution. avoidable downtime. as shifts in network hardware If you’re building from scratch, acquisition choices and life cycle ADDRESSING HARDWARE on the other hand, a good starting management adjustments. FAILURE place is to look at repair facility This is not, however, a linear To get a better understanding of diagnoses to identify cases in which process. Every new equipment deployment can raise problems network performance and stay ahead of no physical repair was necessary. in product reliability, warranty potential issues, service providers should Then evaluate those incidents by recalls, training issues and so on. focus on three key areas when analyzing part number, region, technician Most organizations will, therefore, and responding to hardware failures: group and so on. This will tend to experience a staggered evolution. • Collect data. The first necessity point to problems in configuration, Impressive front-end savings on-site troubleshooting and patch is information about network and resilience improvements application, which have potentially equipment failures. A large will generally be followed by systemic remedies. proportion of network operators increasingly narrow interventions do not catalog basic data on Another fertile investigation is alongside occasional large-scale hardware sent in for repair, such relationships between the OEM, troubleshooting when widespread as part number, installed location, product, age and location specifics failure patterns again emerge. technician responsible for on- and particular failures. This site triage, failure reported by can help drive efficient life cycle The job of hardware failure the originating technician, and management and maintenance analysis is never done, but it does get diagnosis and root cause analysis strategies, enabling the organization easier with time. Custom-built tools by the repair facility. By tracking to upgrade or maintain equipment can be improved, people leading the as many data points as possible, often enough to reduce predictable charge become more adept at noticing network operators increase their downtime but not so frequently as patterns, and remedies become more ability to identify patterns. to waste resources. effective based on previous experience. A key barrier to such data • Target top priorities. Avoidable With sustained effort, the organization collection is typically maintenance downtime comes in various forms, will find itself with far fewer avoidable vendor relationships. Field support and addressing all issues at once is repairs and associated outages. And with millions of dollars in downtime partners frequently avoid sharing impossible. Enterprises and network costs along with brand reputation and such information, as it could operators should prioritize their customer loyalty at stake, there is good reveal shortcomings in their own responses to initial findings based on reason to grab for these attainable technicians, reduce the perceived total impact, including downtime resilience gains right away. v value of their maintenance and cost considerations. Considering service, or increase their own data the ease of implementing a solution management burdens. is also helpful. Gordon Smith is the CEO of Sagent, For these and other reasons, As an example, if a spate of which provides advanced business most hardware maintenance configuration problems appears analytics and support services to lower the providers purposefully obscure the on a particular Cisco switch in a costs of network ownership and the risks diagnoses technicians arrive at in particular region, there may be of downtime.
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 67 TECHNOLOGY
G.hn Is Vital to Gigabit Broadband Services Rollouts
G.hn has emerged as competitive to fiber to the home because it now enables service providers to offer higher data rates by leveraging existing copper assets.
By Livia Rosu / HomeGrid Forum
istorically, telecom operators thought telecom and cable standards, which meant that the only way to achieve high- higher data rates could be provided through Hspeed broadband services was through existing copper assets that leverage the the extensive deployment of optical fiber infrastructure and are competitive with fiber. reaching every single home. Though some industry players continued Since the early 2000s at least, many people to doubt the practicalities of copper, new have assumed that existing copper cabling innovations enabled copper wires to deliver was incapable of delivering the fast data rates data rates 10 times higher than those previously required for high-quality fiber-to-the-home possible. As such, a trend has now developed (FTTH) services. with standards such as gigabit home networking Instead, they believed that all copper (G.hn) technology being continually enhanced. networks would need to be replaced with newly This specific update means broadband can now installed end-to-end optical fiber to enable truly reach speeds of up to 1–2 Gbps over copper next-generational services. coaxial and twisted pair cables, with even higher rates promised soon. CHANGING THE CONVERSATION The theory about FTTH has proven to be a two- G.HN TAKES CENTER STAGE edged sword as cost and speed of installation are It is now possible for service providers to linked to the requirement of causing minimal leverage G.hn technology, along with its disruption to customers and local area networks. corresponding copper assets, to reduce the The conversation has shifted, and providers now cost of deploying last-mile infrastructure understand that aspects of the traditional FTTH while supplying gigabit class broadband deployment model had to be modified, largely that is virtually indistinguishable from due to two factors: cost and new technologies. traditional FTTH. First, installing fiber to every single home G.hn is a networking standard was too expensive in terms of labor costs and initially developed by the International disruptive to residents. In addition, FTTH Telecommunications Union (ITU). Its original rollouts often were delayed because of the slow design goal was to specify a physical layer and process of getting permissions from building a data link layer capable of delivering data rates owners or local authorities. of 1 Gbps via any type of wiring available in At the same time, advances in technology residential environments, such as powerlines, meant the industry was able to develop new phone lines and coaxial cables.
68 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 The original achievement for Broadband can now reach speeds of up to 1 G.hn was to solve home-networking problems, but the industry soon to 2 Gbps over copper coaxial and twisted pair identified G.hn as a great solution for broadband access. It is especially useful cables, with even higher speeds promised soon. in multiple dwelling units (MDUs), such as office buildings or apartment complexes, where installing optical fiber is just not feasible because of high This flexibility is a key reason service Though vendors have a huge costs and regulatory requirements. providers rely on G.hn technology to incentive to push service providers to As such, G.hn proved to be provide gigabit broadband services to start paying for and deploying new perfect for providing the high-speed millions of users worldwide, with many technology as soon as it is available, broadband services customers now already utilizing it as a solution. early adopters often face the risk of demand. It can work through the finding bugs associated with early legacy wiring often found in MDUs, IMPROVING THE BUSINESS implementation. For large carriers, such as twisted-pair cabling for phone CASE it can often be better to wait until service, keeping installation costs low. In addition to the technical parameters manufacturers have had time to iron For these topologies, individual micro- that must be considered to reduce out any issues in their hardware and distribution point units (DPUs) can the cost of FTTx deployment, such software – being the first customer be installed in a central location of an as reliability, robustness, latency, MDU, or multiport DPUs can serve for any new chip is not without risk. security and data rate, there are several It is important to allow technology multiple customers. nontechnical aspects to consider. To G.hn has also become a perfect to mature. ensure the broadband industry remains fit for coaxial cable networks, which The last consideration is critical successful and competitive, it is critical typically have a point-to-multipoint mass. When a given technology is not that service providers work with a high (P2MP) topology. It is ideal for in wide circulation, it will not generate number of system vendors that rival delivering gigabit services at a fraction enough revenue to allow vendors each other. However, multivendor of the cost of more traditional DOCSIS to invest resources in supporting it availability is crucial at both the solutions that rely on expensive cable properly. This means when volumes silicon and system levels to guarantee modem termination system equipment. are reduced, manufacturers are forced a competitive ecosystem. For service G.hn is also an extremely valuable to keep prices high to recoup their providers, it is important to choose connectivity solution for isolated or initial investment in the product’s from a wide portfolio of system vendors bundled single-family-unit topologies, development. Only when a technology in which multiple phone wires or coax working with multiple chipset vendors is shipping millions of units per year wires are either isolated in a point-to- as well. can vendors achieve desired economies point (P2P) connection or converge as Going a step further, multivendor of scale. multiple P2P connections in the same interoperability is also essential. If a bundle to reach a single distribution carrier has a large installed base of MAKING G.HN HIT THE SPOT point (DP). For these networks, the products from vendor A, it will never G.hn hits all the performance markers micro-DPU installation can be delayed be able to adopt a lower-cost product perfectly. Currently, dozens of Tier-1 until customers decide to sign up for from vendor B or mix with a higher- and Tier-2 system vendors offer a range the connectivity service, which is what end device from vendor C if they are of G.hn products. These address a network operators call the pay-as-you- not able to work together. Though range of form factors, from G.hn access grow business model of the installation. products A, B and C may be based multiplexers (GAM) to G.hn network With technical aspects common for on the same broadband technology or terminals, from micro-DPUs to power lines, coaxial and twisted-pair implement the same standard, there multiport DPUs, from fiber extenders cabling, silicon vendors can develop a often are technical differences in that to home-networking products – all of single chip that can implement all three, interoperability can be guaranteed which rely on chipsets sold by multiple ensuring scale and interoperability only by a compliance-certification manufacturers. through adherence to ITU standards laboratory authorized to test To ensure interoperability, and HomeGrid Forum certification. for certification purposes. The certification programs, such as the Today, G.hn chipsets support all three connectivity history of GPON and HomeGrid Forum program, guarantee media, enabling system vendors to xDSL technologies taught us that that products work with others on the build products that can adapt to any several compatibility problems can be market. For products that pass all the available wiring by just changing a avoided by ensuring interoperability tests, certification guarantees that they simple software setting in the device. certification prior to deployments. meet international standards. This
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 69 TECHNOLOGY helps improve the entire ecosystem LOOKING AHEAD This makes G.hn a powerful tool for by making complete interoperability As demand grows for faster and more service providers committed to meeting an industry-level standard all vendors reliable connectivity, service providers subscriber demands. As part of this, aspire to meet. worldwide experience higher levels HomeGrid Forum will continue to G.hn technology has had plenty of of users online now more than ever. support technology vendors submitting time to mature since the release of the To meet demand, technology must their products for certification to ensure first standard in 2009, with multiple be capable of delivering the internet the ecosystem continues developing, and work with members on the continual updates and improvements made since services required. G.hn is vital in innovation of G.hn technology. then. As such, silicon manufacturers enabling this, and it is imperative that innovation continues freely, along with With further development, it will have had time to release multiple the certification and deployment efforts be possible for the technology to reach generations of G.hn products, and of industry alliances. even higher data rates. The role of millions of broadband users rely on G.hn technology offers a reliable, G.hn, and the broadband services it them. G.hn has also achieved critical secure backbone for connectivity, can provide, will play a critical role in mass with vendors shipping millions along with multi-gigabit data rates and the success of innovative technologies, of chips every year at competitive incomparable interoperability between such as the smart home, that have prices. As a result, companies have been the potential to transform lives and devices and bidirectional travel. v able to invest millions of dollars into Bandwidth management is ensured enhance lifestyles. research and development, ensuring with dynamic bandwidth allocation the continual development of G.hn mechanisms for downstream/upstream Livia Rosu is marketing work group technology as it evolves to meet slit per frame adaptation, and crosstalk chair and a member of the board of demands for 10 Gbps networks and mitigation techniques applied to directors at HomeGrid Forum, an other applications in areas such as smart network traffic are designed to ensure industry alliance that supports the cities, smart grids and industrial IoT. the best user experience at all levels. development and deployment of G.hn.
70 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 LONGEST LASTING HEAVY DUTY ACCESSORIES.
Available from NEW HEAD GEAR (800) 755-1950 www.kgpco.com INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
LEO Satellites: A Path to Nowhere?
Low-Earth-orbit satellites face various challenges meeting Rural Digital Opportunity Fund requirements.
By Deborah Kish / Fiber Broadband Association
he FCC recently awarded more than RDOF REQUIREMENTS AND GROWTH 180 bidders funding to build broadband EXPECTATIONS T access in unserved and underserved rural To meet its RDOF obligations, Starlink must areas of the U.S. This is great for rural areas as the design its network to deliver service at the increase in remote workers and online schooling bitrates of 100 Mbps downstream and 20 the pandemic caused means broadband no longer Mbps upstream for “above baseline” service (50 Mbps downstream and 5 upstream) with a is a nice-to-have but a necessity. bandwidth allowance of ≥ 250 GB or the U.S. The exciting news is that 85 percent of the median, whichever is higher. This means that Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) any subscriber should be able to receive 100 awards were for gigabit services. Unfortunately, Mbps during peak hours. However, the growing however, 85 percent of the non-gigabit locations bandwidth needs of the average household were awarded to Starlink, a division of SpaceX. mean that even under the best circumstances, That means nearly $900 million of RDOF bandwidth needs likely will not be met. money is going to SpaceX to deliver broadband In addition, winners of RDOF funding service using its Starlink low-Earth-orbit (LEO) must begin to offer at least one voice and satellite fleet with a commitment to deliver 100 one broadband service to the service area in Mbps/20 Mbps rural broadband to 642,000 question, which might also prove challenging locations in 35 states. for satellites. Figure 1 indicates a model with two rates of growth for the required capacity: The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) a high case and a conservative low case. and NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association Factors to consider when thinking about commissioned strategy and analyst firm current and future bandwidth needs include: Cartesian to build a model the FCC can use to better evaluate Starlink’s ability to meet • An increase in the number of online users. RDOF areas likely will have higher usage of RDOF performance criteria. The parameters online streaming applications because cable and variables of this model were set to the most TV is generally not available. favorable assumptions for Starlink, assuming • A continuing rise in the number of it can launch 12,000 satellites on schedule and networked devices through 2030, align its constellations in a perfect optimal particularly with the expected increase in formation. The model also assumed each video traffic over 4K/UHD, which requires satellite could deliver its theorical performance 30–40 percent more bandwidth than HD. of 20 Gbps. After running the model, the This is a clear indicator of the need for FBA and NTCA determined the LEO increased broadband speeds. satellites will experience challenges meeting Figure 2 shows the output of the model the RDOF requirements. measuring the capacity of LEO satellites. It
72 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 Figure 1. Note: Current estimates of average bandwidth per subscriber, during peak hours, range from 1.7 to 2.7 Mbps.
indicates that more than half of Starlink both low-case and high-case capacity low case and 57 percent of subscribers RDOF subscribers may experience requirements of 15.3 and 20.8 Mbps. in the high case will experience service service degradation as early as 2028 in At least 56 percent of subscribers in the degradation during peak times.
Figure 2.
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 73 INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
Figure 3.
Furthermore, RDOF service could OVERLY OPTIMISTIC satellite applies only to enterprise be significantly worse if Starlink ASSUMPTIONS class terminals, not residential. The allocates capacity to non-RDOF use After the FBA and NTCA filed the maximum designed data rate for cases. Figure 3 shows the outcome LEO satellite assessment and model residential terminals is about 13 Gbps. from the model using an algorithm with the FCC in February, feedback When considering only these areas to efficiently allocate satellite capacity from industry experts suggested that of overly optimistic assumptions, to RDOF locations, aiming to meet FBA and NTCA assumptions are the model reduces the assessment of minimum requirements in as many overly optimistic in favor of Starlink. Starlink’s broadband capacity by nearly areas as possible. The 2028 model For example, we modeled a base case 80 percent. Although we knowingly low-case and high-case capacity of 12,000 Starlink satellites, including were generous to Starlink with our requirements were set at 15.3 and 20.8 4,408 satellites authorized to operate in assumptions, the intent was to build the Ku and Ka bands and 7,518 satellites a model that the FCC can use to Mbps respectively. authorized to operate in the V band. scrutinize the Starlink RDOF long- Customers receiving less will SpaceX found that the V band form application. The FCC is then able experience service degradation. downlink spectrum was not usable for to input the appropriate assumptions in With just 20 percent of its capacity this application, so only 4,408 satellites its efforts to determine whether Starlink allocated to commercial (non-RDOF) should be considered in the Starlink can deliver a network that meets the subscribers, only 22 percent of RDOF capacity assessment. This results performance criteria promised in the RDOF subscribers will have sufficient in our model overestimating Starlink’s RDOF 904 auction. broadband capacity (15.3 Mbps to 20.8 capacity by 270 percent. Though LEO satellites cannot deliver Mbps). Given the capacity constraints Further, SpaceX indicated to the the required performance for the FCC and the speculation that capacity will FCC in a December 2020 ex parte to approve their long-form applications, be used to serve non-RDOF areas, meeting that 250 MHz of its 2 GHz the bigger issue is that RDOF locations LEO satellite for broadband services of the Ku band, from the satellite to relegated to LEO satellite service will be will not be able to meet the future the user, is unusable. That reduces on the wrong side of the digital divide, bandwidth needs, nor the RDOF the effective capacity of each Starlink and that gap will widen. requirements of 100 Mbps downstream satellite by 12.5 percent. In addition, A decade ago, the FCC’s national and 20 Mbps upstream. Starlink’s claim of 20 Gbps per broadband plan was based on 1 Mbps
74 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 as the definition of broadband. We are 5G network requires a high-capacity, to provide the best service and meet not arguing whether 100 Mbps or low-latency fiber infrastructure. service-level agreements. 1 Gbps is adequate today, and we Technology continuously evolves, expect demand will continue to grow and fiber is no stranger to that. It has LEO SATELLITES CAN’T at a 20 to 30 percent CAGR. come a long way in 50 years, enjoying COMPETE its fair share of innovation that LEO satellite technology simply can’t FIBER SUPERIOR TECHNOLOGY increased speed and reduced cost and compete. It has nothing to build on It’s indisputable that fiber is the goal – deployment time. Fiber relative to other technologies, such as fixed wireless access, which serves as a nearly every other access technology • Is cheaper than fishing line foundation for future fiber buildouts. leverages fiber deployment as deep in its • Is a future-ready, build-once LEO satellites launched into space can’t network architecture as is economically technology feasible. Even the previous CAF-based • Requires no disruptive upgrades, be built on, have no economic impact, DSL projects funded middle-mile fiber unlike the competing technologies and are subject to interference from and fiber to the node, providing a path coax, wireless and copper weather conditions, which can lead to for subscribers to finally get fiber to the • Provides 50,000 times the capacity poor customer experience. home (FTTH). of wireless or coax and 400,000 LEO satellite technology is Fiber is more than broadband times more than copper ultimately single-purpose. Without attributes that contribute to the connectivity. It delivers jobs, fuels • Better supports new applications economy, environment and the education and provides billions of needing higher upstream bandwidth betterment of users, it is essentially dollars in economic development to the • Is more reliable and secure on a path to nowhere. v communities where it’s deployed. For compared with other technologies. instance, a recent study shows a new Because customer experience fiber network in Chattanooga resulted is an essential component in reducing Deborah Kish is vice president of in 9,516 new jobs and $2.69 billion in churn, service providers must research and marketing for the Fiber economic impact. consider fiber the only technology Broadband Association. In terms of economic value, fiber improves GDP by increasing per-person productivity by up to 300 hours annually, increases home values by 1.8 percent for single- family homes, has the lowest carbon footprint of all technologies because it uses the least power, does not require rocket launches, and is best for telecommuting. Fiber also delivers critical infrastructure for smart-grid modernization. In the Chattanooga study, fiber deployment resulted in 2.11 million customer interruptions avoided, an average 43 percent reduction in outage minutes, and $421 million in benefits during major weather events. It also reduced 1,865 milliwatts of demand and 10,331 milliwatt hours of electricity consumption over the 10- year study period. In areas where fiber is deployed, service providers received 80 percent fewer trouble calls. Households with FTTH have a better user experience compared with other technologies because fiber is not affected by weather conditions, natural obstacles such as trees, or other signals as alternative technologies. Fiber also delivers the 5G future. A
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 75 INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
Pandemic Spurs Broadband Bump
Tier-1 and rural telcos enhanced their broadband speeds and reach to meet the needs of consumers who relied on Zoom conferencing, remote learning, video streaming and the use of multiple internet-connected devices when the COVID-19 pandemic turned their lives upside down.
By Bruce Forey / BroadMax Group
he coronavirus pandemic was a feast or famine for Lumen also enhanced its FTTH reach in 2020, passing businesses. Many brick-and-mortar retail, restaurant, an additional 400,000 homes with fiber to reach 2.4 Ttravel and hospitality industries saw business dip million homes, up from 2 million at the end of 2019. In all, dramatically once lockdown measures were put in place. Lumen added 54,000 subscribers who purchased 100 Mbps However, other businesses, such as those connected to the and higher speed tiers. However, it lost a total of 19,000 outdoors or home-experience improvements, had record sales. broadband subscribers. This was due to a loss of 57,000 A necessity for enhancing life at home during the subscribers to plans of 20 Mbps and slower and 20–99 Mbps. pandemic is fast, reliable internet to handle Zoom conferencing, remote learning, video streaming and the TIER-1 BROADBAND GROWTH SURGE multiple internet-enabled connected devices now essential Bruce Leichtman, president of Leichtman Research Group to people’s lives. As a result, the broadband industry – (LRG), believes the pandemic was responsible for the largest including Tier-1 internet providers, telephone cooperatives overall broadband growth the industry has experienced in and broadband support vendors – by and large benefited many years. significantly from the new shuttered reality. “With the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, there were Annual reports from publicly traded companies will help more net broadband additions in 2020 than in any year since provide a more complete picture on actual broadband sales in 2008, and this is despite broadband being in more than 80 2020. The reports won’t be released in time for this article, so percent of all households before the pandemic,” he said. Broadband Communities talked to some industry analysts Leichtman studied data from 16 of the largest cable and who shared their findings from 2020 and their thoughts on wireline broadband providers, which provide service to about whether the broadband spike will continue in 2021. 96 percent of internet subscribers in the United States. He Verizon recorded strong sales in its 2020 fourth-quarter discovered these companies acquired about 4.86 million net report and posted a 5.1 percent increase in Fios internet subscribers over 2019. Even Verizon’s slower DSL offering additional broadband internet subscribers last year compared grew year-over-year by 2.8 percent. Tier-1 operators such with about 2.55 million subscribers in 2019. In addition, as Verizon typically forecast closer to 1 percent growth to Leichtman found overall broadband additions in 2020 were accommodate for housing and population increases in service up 190 percent over 2019. areas, so these bumps are noteworthy. Other key LRG findings include that top cable companies Fellow Tier-1 operators AT&T and Lumen also saw added about 4.82 million subscribers in 2020, compared broadband gains during the fourth quarter. For AT&T, with about 3.145 million net adds in 2019. The top wireline 2020 was the year of fiber; the telco added 1 million fiber phone companies added about 40,000 subscribers in 2020, broadband subscribers in 2020. As AT&T hits its fiber-to-the- compared with a loss of about 590,000 subscribers in 2019. home (FTTH) milestone, the provider has plans to deepen “These top broadband providers now account for more penetration in existing and new markets. than 105 million subscribers, with top cable companies
76 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 having close to 73 million broadband connection and having the best product providers will continue to invest in subscribers, and top wireline phone available in the market was important their networks, particularly with companies having 33 million to provide excellent customer service FTTH, because customers are now subscribers,” said Leichtman. to our members and to attract new accustomed to faster, more reliable customers when they really needed fast internet speeds. RURAL TELCOS EXPAND FIBER and reliable broadband.” Mike Render, president of the REACH consulting firm RVA LLC, says the Larger broadband providers weren’t FTTH, DOCSIS SALES RISE lifestyle shift forced by the coronavirus the only beneficiaries of the pandemic. Another indicator of broadband growth is probably here to stay. Many telephone cooperatives and during 2020 comes from hardware and “I think to some degree, we’re smaller telcos that offer broadband equipment sales. not going back to the pre-pandemic to more rural areas saw a bump in Dell’Oro Group reported significant age,” he says. “I certainly see more of new broadband connections. “Telcos increases in sales of optical line a hybrid work-from-home and work- had positive net annual broadband terminals (OLT) and optical network from-the-office situation as compared adds for the first year since 2014,” terminals (ONTs). According to the to pre-pandemic. So, there’s going said Leichtman. research firm, 2020 spending on OLT/ to be continuing pressure for good Many didn’t spend any additional ONT hardware was $414 million, broadband in the home.” marketing dollars to acquire the which was a $68 million, or a 19 The pressure to deliver lies with connections. The increases came from percent increase, over 2019 spending. broadband service providers. Already having a network in place, which in Fiber broadband wasn’t the only in a highly competitive industry, many essence provided the supply to meet network technology in demand to will have to continue to invest in their the demand. deliver faster internet speeds. DOCSIS broadband product to offer the fastest Hill Country Telephone 3.1 technology is used to greatly speeds and most reliable service to Cooperative (HCTC), which serves increase broadband speeds from obtain and retain customers. the Texas Hill Country and some coaxial networks. “I don’t expect spending to decrease areas in the western part of the state, Dell’Oro found 20.3 million units in 2021 and into the short-term future,” also experienced higher than projected of DOCSIS 3.1 equipment shipped Heynen says. “Especially if you are a broadband sales. HCTC added 2,441 in 2020, which was an additional 4.5 telco and want to compete for the needs broadband-only customers in 2020 for million units, and a 28 percent increase of today’s broadband customer, then about 10 percent growth. This number over the 15.8 million DOCSIS units you’ll need to continue to invest in fiber was close to evenly split between shipped in 2019. infrastructure as it provides the most ILEC and CLEC customers. HCTC “The numbers would be even higher throughput for the customer.” reported adding 1,016 members to if the supply chains were in order and Render agreed and added that the cooperative, mostly driven by there weren’t shortages with materials consumers have become aware of how broadband sales. needed for fiber buildout,” says Jeff high-speed broadband can be a useful The cooperative serves a mostly Heynen, vice president of broadband tool. “I think a lot of people that rural area that doesn’t have the same access and home networking for have selected a higher speed tier will population growth as metro areas; most Dell’Oro. “These shortages were due probably stay with that,” he says. “And of HCTC’s new customers are residents in part to factory shutdowns in China I think certainly people who haven’t within its service area who weren’t because of the coronavirus. Once a found a higher quality alternative are customers prior to the pandemic. Craig factory shuts down, it takes time to still looking. Maybe the pressure won’t Cook, CEO of HCTC, credits the ramp production back up, and this be quite as high after the pandemic, but company’s recent multimillion-dollar further contributed to the supply chain many consumers now realize just how investment, which expanded its fiber challenges to meet demand in 2020.” important broadband is.” v broadband network to almost one- quarter of its service area. The strategy SPEED DESIRE TO DRIVE NEW also included increasing speeds to many INVESTMENTS Bruce Forey is the founder of the existing members. As vaccines roll out across the nation, BroadMax Group, a consulting firm “When everyone was isolated at many people are planning a return to offering marketing, communications home and realized they needed a better pre-pandemic life. Offices will begin and product development solutions for broadband connection, we had done to slowly reopen, and more schools are businesses at various stages for fiber the work with our network to serve welcoming students back to classrooms. broadband deployment. He can be more of our members with faster speeds Will broadband sales growth reached at [email protected]. or offer a much better alternative than and its industry trickle-down effects our competitors,” said Cook. “Fiber continue in 2021 and beyond? Some broadband delivers a superior internet industry analysts predict many internet
MARCH/APRIL 2021 | www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 77 INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
Three Big Telco Predictions for 2021
Chassis-based systems will end, new vendors will enter the market, and access networks will be the focus of innovation.
By Pravin S. Bhandarkar / RtBrick
020 wasn’t the sort of year anyone would have telco technology. Very little has changed in infrastructure predicted. Just as many aspects of people’s lives were technology since the arrival of IP, and with higher and higher 2disrupted by the pandemic, so too was the telecom barriers to entry, it has seemed set to stay that way. But 2021 industry, which has settled into a “new normal.” will be the turning point. Why? In short, because of the rise As social videoconferencing massively increased and of software-based solutions and disaggregated networking. businesses dispersed operations to remote workers, internet For the first time in decades, providing solutions that connectivity reached whole new levels. At the same time, compete with established vendors is viable for innovative new some underlying technology shifts didn’t stop. Given these software and hardware companies. More than that, traditional factors, what might be in store for the rest of 2021? vendors often are reluctant to eat into their established business models – with their high margins and long lock-in cycles – by DEATH OF THE CHASSIS-BASED SYSTEM being disruptive themselves. Expect to see some new kids on For a while now, telcos have been clear about their desire to the block and some big projects going their way. go “cloud-native”: to follow the hyperscalers and become more agile and efficient. With more traffic to deliver than ever before ACCESS NETWORK PAIN POINT – especially during the pandemic and with no expected increase When internet traffic first hit carrier networks, the biggest in revenue from subscribers – something has to change. pain point was in network cores. Vendors raced to develop This is the year the shift toward cloud-native networking ever-faster routers and higher-capacity optical systems to meet will start. We’ve already seen adoption in the mobile RAN, demands. Then the congestion flared up in the last mile, for example, from players such as Rakuten. In 2021, expect to when subscribers found their broadband lines creaking under see it in fixed networks, too. the strain of triple-play services and online TV. This year, carriers will start building disaggregated These days, the core is insulated by the arrival of content delivery networks (CDNs), which serve up copies of the most networks, giving them more choice, more programmability popular content from servers embedded around network and lower costs. Telecom Infra Project (TIP) has called on edges. Investments in fiber to the cabinet and to the home the telecom industry to develop an open broadband network have alleviated the last-mile challenge, with 5G set to tackle gateway, which is broadband routing software that runs on mobile limitations. open hardware. This is outlined in a paper authored by BT, This brings us to the biggest unsolved pain point – the Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica and Vodafone – quite an access network. This is the part of the network that delivers all impressive lineup of carriers. traffic from CDN servers to the last mile. All online TV traffic, The rise of cloud-native networking means that the days of along with surging traffic from people working at home and monolithic chassis-based systems, with software and hardware new machine-to-machine traffic, must cross the access network from the same vendor, are over. to reach the end consumer. TURNING POINT FOR VENDOR CHOICE As 2021 progresses, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the access network is going to be a focus for new innovation In the telco equipment space, only a handful of big players because it will need to keep up with increasing demands. v are left standing: Cisco, Ericsson, Huawei, Juniper, Nokia … it’s a pretty short list. The national security concerns Huawei raised have narrowed the field even further. Lack of vendor Pravin S. Bhandarkar is the CEO at RtBrick, which provides choice has become a huge issue and has stifled innovation in cloud-native routing software for carrier networks.
78 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021
INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
Can You Trust Your Business Case for Broadband Expansion?
Access to quality data will make or break service providers financially as they work to provide high-performance broadband to communities in the post-pandemic world.
By Raj Singh / VCTI
he past year spotlighted the social, COVID-19 relief bill, which significantly economic and educational impacts of the expanded the categories of subsidized expenses. T digital divide. In response, there’s been The expansion included the ability to provide a flurry of activity from all levels of government connectivity off-campus to help bridge the at- and an increasingly diverse population of home digital divide, enabling communities to broadband service providers. leverage this program more broadly to upgrade The telecom industry can look at services to schools and surrounding households. the intensity of the FCC’s Rural Digital With a passel of government subsidies coming Opportunity Fund (RDOF) bidding, which available and the emergence of new competitors, attracted 386 qualified bidders for $16 billion the question becomes: How will service providers in potential funding. In the end, 180 service optimize their funding to fulfill community providers were awarded a total of $9.2 billion needs most quickly for high-performance to serve 5.2 million locations in 49 states and broadband and drive the highest possible return the commonwealth of the Northern Mariana of investment (ROI) to deliver, and even exceed, Islands. A slew of younger companies with new their business case expectations? technology solutions were among the winners, Providers will need to prioritize their but they received lower subsidy levels than buildout plans quickly with high accuracy, initially anticipated. incorporating analytics on eligible locations, Another example is changes to the FCC comparative costs to deploy, revenue potential E-Rate program included in the most recent and competitive threats. The quality of this data will make or break their financial success.
IS LOCATION DATA TRUSTWORTHY? The “serviceable location” count from the The recent COVID-19 relief bill significantly FCC is notoriously inaccurate. Carriers that participated in RDOF’s predecessor, the expanded the categories of expenses that Connect America Fund (CAF) programs, were required to file broadband deployment data can be subsidized, enabling communities with the Universal Service Administrative Co.’s to upgrade services to their schools and High-Cost Universal Broadband (HUBB) portal to show where they built out mass- surrounding households. market, high-speed internet services using CAF
80 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 support. This information includes To maximize cash flow, it’s imperative that latitude and longitude coordinates for every location where service is available. service providers decide where to build first However, there have been challenges with the HUBB. VCTI found that the based on an ROI in which cost and revenue are FCC’s data has an average error rate assessed together. of 30 percent, and the implications are significant. That error rate can result in either underestimating or overestimating revenue by 30 percent. It also can dramatically impact based on potential revenue. build may not give the optimized deployment cost estimates. These comparative analytics will result. An integration of multiple Here are suggestions to strengthen identify the most immediately technologies for best performance confidence in the location data: profitable opportunities. Analysis at the least capital cost is critical in • Vet the sources informing location should include several factors: cost the post–COVID-19 environment. data. Does the data include land-use per household, cost per node, first Terrain and subscriber density insight from property tax records? cost to build and average revenue are the most important filters Can it reasonably distinguish per household. to apply first when determining physical buildings’ differences on a In addition, analysis should what technologies can realistically property, recognizing a shed versus include the ability to leverage the be considered. Point-to-point or a house? Is the process manual, or RDOF or other subsidy deployment point-to-multipoint architectures does it use artificial intelligence? into tangential areas to expand ensure the highest symmetrical • Identify E-Rate–eligible schools in the addressable market. For bandwidth in fiber builds, but the target market and the number example, a tangential market may recent bandwidth innovations in the of households they serve. Statistics have only one or two houses with Citizens Broadband Radio Service on school lunch program higher service while the remaining and millimeter OEM module enrollment rates can provide an underserved houses are eager for demand attention. indication of a market in which better broadband but were excluded • Ask whether pockets where students have insufficient access to from the earlier FCC programs. fiber is an economical alternative broadband at home. • Understand your competition, can be identified to better future- • Undertake manual spot-checking including inroads by program proof the investment, even if using online satellite tools to inspect winners in their own markets and the bid or standard architecture is samples of data visually. the surrounding areas. fixed wireless. • Tap into publicly available databases CAN CAPITAL SPEND BE More people working and learning to check for any new construction OPTIMIZED? from home means the broadband plans. It’s necessary to model and compare customer landscape and requirements • Ensure data distinguishes residential have dramatically changed. Service from commercial properties. deployment options, including identification of minute but material providers need to adapt their traditional CAN CASH FLOW BE cost drivers, so that deployment is as broadband expansion plans to enable MAXIMIZED? cost-effective as possible. a data-driven approach to market buildout planning and ensure they can To maximize cash flow, it’s imperative • Ask where and how you can achieve their financial goals. v that service providers know where expand your service footprint to build first for the fastest ROI. to the most houses at the least Decisions should be made not just on cost. Analyze upload speed and Raj Singh serves as CEO of VCTI, which the lowest cost or the highest potential download speed. Households now delivers automated intelligence products for revenue but also on the holistic ROI routinely need to be able to support and services to grow and serve the in which cost and revenue are assessed multiple videoconference sessions broadband market. together. Only when algorithms are simultaneously in addition to online capable of modeling data for every gaming and shared video streaming. option is it possible to plan network • Identify capital cost and deployment well. performance of the viable options • Analyze the cost to extend the for the last mile. Determine existing network or build a new potential technologies to deploy. network for each target market An all fixed wireless or an all fiber
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your technology. your mission. MDU4090_Fiber_Ad_BBC_Mag_M1R.indd RELEASE NY Creative Services Untitled:Users:kk846p:Desktop:MDU4090_Fiber_Ad_BBC_Mag_M1R.indd Radically2 Final_CRR-634-AEN_COR-12674_R2.inddyour success. our promise. User: KIM, KA RAN Printed at: 11-26-2019 1:48 PM From:SavedNCSMD02KK846P at 1-25-2017Last 12:32 saved: PM 11-26-2019By TB 1:46 PM Page #: 1 Printed At None Print %: None FONTS: ATT Aleck SansSimplified (Regular; OpenType), ATT Aleck Cmp (Light; OpenType) LAYERS: Crop Cubed, Layer 1, Slug Cubed IMAGES: TRIM 3.375" x 2.75" • • 19MDU_4090_Fiber_Ad_BBC_Mag_Resize_M1R.tif (CMYK; 300 ppi; 100%),Job att_hz_lkp_4cp_rev.ai info (11.66%), att_fiber_hz_1cs_wht.ai (9.17%) Approvals_____ Proofreader _____ Copywriter Fonts & Images LIVE/SAFETY 3.125" x 2.5" The StreetSmart Aerial FDH: BLEED 3.375" x 2.75" Job 12674 _____Art CD Director Art TB_____ Photo Editor Fonts Bringing Efficiency andClient COR _____Copywriter ACD Art None_____ Accounts TheSans C4s (SemiLight, SemiBold) Folded Size None Account Mgr TT _____ AD _____ Studio Gutter None Deployment Cost SavingsMedia to Type Print Ad Studio Artist None Images _____ CD Copy Panel Size None Live None Print Prd Mgr BS_____ Print ProductionThinkstockPhotos-542095422_Glow- INKS: Cyan, Aerial Magenta, FiberYellow, DeploymentBlack Trim 3.375” x 2.75” Home_crop.psd (CMYK; 783 ppi; 38.31%), Bleed None Notes Corning_Blue_BoxLockup_WhiteLogo_Sol- TO DO: OUTPUT: PDF: PROOF: RELEASE: Notes: id_cmyk.ai (20.47%) Click Here or Go to X1ANone & LR in Release Edits as Marked New Laser Low Res Single Pages ______Pubs______% None See Spec Sheet Create Comp Separations X1A www.SeeClearfield.comSpreads GRACoL Brand Muscle Layer PSD release www.niscInks.coop Mech/Re-Mech Comp ______% To Trim Size toUnder Learn 5 MBs More SWOP3 (Circ/Mag) Simian JPEG release Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black FPO Art Mounting: Crops NO Slug Under 10 MBs Newsprint (ISO) Collect for Insight DSTO Setting Place Final Art Foam or Board NO Tab Dieline Interactive Uncoated CFO NOT for release Email files to PM Resize White or Black NO Pink Strip Mobile/Web Lightweight Coated CFO For Release Edits and Release Call AD NO Dieline Create JPEG Photo X1A For Release
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JULY ADVERTISER PAGE WEBSITE 25 – 28 Fiber Connect Conference 3HV Innovations 83 www.3hv.com Gaylord Opryland Resort AT&T 29, 82 www.att.com/fiberproperties Nashville, TN Calix 21, 56 www.calix.com/munis 312-673-5389 www.fiberconnect.org Broadband Communities Magazine 83 www.bbcmag.com
Broadband Communities SEPTEMBER Summit 2021 Inside Front Cover – 1, 19 – 22 9, 20, 34, 70, 75, 82, 83 www.bbcmag.com NTCA Fall Conference CenturyLink 13, 56, 83 www.centurylink.com/ Gaylord Opryland Resort & connectedcommunities Convention Center Charles Industries 47, 56 www.charlesindustries.com Nashville, TN Clearfield, Inc. 57, 82, Back Cover www.SeeClearfield.com 703-351-2000 www.ntca.org Comcast (Xfinity) 51 www.xfinity.com/ xfinitycommunities 21 – 23 Corning 58, 82, Inside Back Cover www.corning.com/ NATOA Annual Conference community-broadband Virtual Conference DISH Fiber 43, 58 www.dish.com/fiber 703-519-8035 ESPi NA, Inc. 58, 79 www.espicorp.com www.natoa.org Fiberdyne Labs, Inc 83 www.fiberdyne.com 27 – 30 Finley Engineering 39, 59 www.finleyusa.com Broadband Communities Summit 2021 Marriott Marquis Hexatronic 3, 59 www.hexatronic.com Houston, Texas IQGeo (OSPInsight) 60 www.ospinsight.com 877-588-1649 KGPCo 60, 71 www.kgpco.com www.bbcmag.com Maxcell 60 www.maxcell.us OCTOBER NiSC 82 www.nisc.coop 18 – 21 OFS 7, 60 www.ofsoptics.com WISPAPALOOZA 2021 Positron Access Solutions 61 www.positronaccess.com Caesars Spectrum Community Solutions Las Vegas, NV (Charter Communications) 5, 61, 82 www.SpectrumCommunity 866-317-2851 Solutions.com www.wispa.org
Tyson Ventures 57 www.tysonventures.org 25 – 27 Walker and Associates 55 http://communication. The INCOMPAS Show walkerfirst.com/bbcmagazine_ The Cosmopolitan march2021 Las Vegas, NV WESCO/Anixter 25, 62 www.wesco.com 202-296-6650 Wide Open Networks 24, 62 www.wideopennetworks.us www.incompas.org
NOVEMBER 8 – 10 OPTECH Conference & Exposition Broadband Communities (ISSN 0745-8711) (USPS 679-050) (Publication Mail Agreement #1271091) is published 7 times a Gaylord National Resort & year at a rate of $24 per year by Broadband Properties LLC, 1909 Avenue G, Rosenberg, TX 77471. Periodical postage paid at Rosenberg, TX, and additional mailing offices. Convention Center POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Broadband Communities, PO Box 303, Congers, NY 10920-9852. National Harbor, MD CANADA POST: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. Canada Returns to be sent to Bleuchip International, PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2. 202-974-2300 Copyright © 2021 Broadband Properties LLC. All rights reserved. www.nmhc.org
84 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MARCH/APRIL 2021 Big ideas don’t just come from big cities. Set your community’s potential free.
With affordable, reliable broadband, you’ll connect your neighbors to a world of possibilities, and bring their best to the world. We’ll be right there with you, for them, every step of the way.
Whether you’re an experienced network operator or tackling broadband for the first time, we’ll meet you where you are to create a high-quality, cost-effective, fiber-to-the-home solution that’s right for you today and scalable for tomorrow. Splice or preconnectorized, lashed Discover how we can help at www.corning.com/community-broadband. or ADSS – our broad portfolio meets your network needs.
© 2021 Corning Optical Communications. All rights reserved. CRR-1548-AEN / February 2021 Enabling the Lifestyle that Better Broadband Provides
Speeding 288 Connections for Any Environment
Working from anywhere is expanding the need for fiber broadband connections. That means providers are encountering deployments in every type of scenario. Whether you need point-to-point or point-to-multipoint fiber, our products support user-defined feeder-to-distribution fiber ratios. Clearfield® has you covered for any environment. Which 288 Fiber Distribution Hub works best for YOUR working-from-anywhere deployments?
FieldSmart® 288 FieldSmart 288 FieldSmart 288 StreetSmart™ 288 StreetSmart 288 Indoor Outdoor Below Grade Aerial Pre-Assigned Outdoor FDP Wall Box FDH Cabinet Makwa FDH FDH Cabinet
Removing Barriers to Fiber Deployment
Learn how you can simplify your deployments at www.SeeClearfield.com or call 800-422-2537