One of the latest heated debates about broadband infrastructure happened in Rhode Island as Representative Deborah Ruggiero noted that Cox Communications’ plan to invest in RI broadband infrastructure upgrades sounded more like an effort to catch up after years of neglect versus a plan for innovation. She added that their plans would fall short of actually improving service. Ruggiero suggested the need to create roadmaps for municipalities to access federal dollars and for private cable companies to partner with public entities for innovative fiber broadband.
Gary Bolton, President & CEO, Fiber Broadband Association, disagreed with the representative’s assessment.
“The Fiber Broadband Association agrees that now is the time to close the digital equity gap for all as the broadband industry enters its greatest investment cycle ever and we applaud Cox’s commitment to deploy Fiber-to-the-Home more widely,” Bolton said. “We acknowledge that municipalities are one of the many capable groups that can deliver high-quality broadband services and should be supported and invested in.”
Bolton said he believes there are many other types of broadband providers that can benefit from infrastructure funding, including traditional broadband service providers, utilities, tribal communities, and more. It is more important, in Bolton’s opinion, to focus investments on the most capable technology to deliver broadband services, rather than focus on the type of organization that will deliver the service.
“We are excited to welcome Representative Deborah Ruggiero to our Regional Fiber Connect event in Providence, Rhode Island, on April 19,” Bolton said. “We’ll help set this record straight and provide an engaging conversation about building critical broadband infrastructure for every community and how fiber broadband is the best path to get us there.”
Reader Interactions