A coalition of telecom associations wants to persuade California lawmakers to allow wireless to compete for state broadband funding. The group, led by WIA, includes NATE, CCA, WISPA, CTIA and RWA.
In a letter, they tell the leaders of the state Senate Appropriations Committee, “We urge you to reject recent calls to exclude qualified broadband solutions from state funding and resume consideration of AB 1065, which would expressly allow wireless-based solutions to compete for state funds. While fiber will be a critical component of every state broadband program, it is not the only technology capable of bridging the digital divide and comes with its own set of tradeoffs,” they state.
Coalition members encourage states to adopt flexible rules that will allow the greatest number of applicants to apply for these funds to increase competition and give states the maximum number of tools at their disposal. They say AB 1065 provides flexible rules that allow for broad competition and empowers California to select winners based on their ability to deliver the service consumers need as quickly and effectively as possible.
“The cost per location served increases dramatically in more remote areas—the areas least likely to be served,” they emphasize. “Requiring a single technology to serve these locations, particularly one with the highest cost per location passed of commercially available solutions, will reduce the reach and effectiveness of state programs.”
The telecom groups stress that the benefit for preserving broadband technological flexibility is that it provides other options, including the increasingly popular Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) home broadband option. Currently, FWA is the fastest growing broadband technology in the U.S. market, accounting for 90 percent of new broadband growth, according to the industry groups.
California should consider applications for FWA in the BEAD program, stress the groups. “FWA also has several inherent benefits in deployment compared to other technologies,” they explain, calling FWA “one of the fastest broadband solutions to deploy.”
“Service can be brought online in a matter of weeks, delivering high-speed broadband over a wide area. This speed and efficiency also contributes to a lower overall cost to deployment,” explain the telecom associations.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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