Broadband Equity Partnership, a consulting firm, released a survey indicating that few state and local officials have confidence that national telecommunications companies can close the digital divide, reported StateScoop. The survey found that less than 25 percent of the 120 respondents were convinced that national ISPs could successfully utilize future federal funds to bring broadband to the 42 million unserved Americans.
Survey respondents included economic development and IT agency officials, nonprofit leaders, school officials, and utility company executives. Half of all respondents said they wanted broadband to be qualified as a utility in their communities or be given the authority to operate a municipal ISP. According to StateScoop, municipal ISPs are currently prohibited in 20 states.
Another strike against national ISPs, according to the survey, relates to broadband coverage maps provided to the FCC, which overstate coverage areas, enabling those companies to advertise greater (inaccurate) connectivity. StateScoop reported that the FCC’s latest broadband expansion effort, the $20.4 billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction that was partially based on that coverage data, was criticized in the survey. The auction held last fall allowed providers to “exaggerate their abilities” to fill rural coverage gaps affordably.
“The RDOF should be completely revamped or eliminated. Optimally, the funds should go to the State/Counties for specific targeting,” one survey respondent said.
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