In response to proposed legislation in Ohio that would remove wireless from state funding, WIA led a coalition of six trade associations urging the legislature to reject calls to limit broadband funding to a single technology.
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, CTIA, the Competitive Carriers Association, the Rural Wireless Association and the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association, in addition to WIA were signatories on a letter that highlights the importance of allowing all broadband solutions to compete to allow communities to select what best suits their needs.
Sent ahead of the budget conference in Ohio, the associations emphasized they’re “increasingly close” to bridging the digital divide in Ohio, but the hardest work “as we tackle the hardest-to-reach locations” remains.
“Achieving universal connectivity, now more than ever, will require an ‘all of the above’ solution that matches the right broadband technology with the project,” say the associations. “Fortunately, there is more than one technology that can meet consumer needs and expectations for their broadband service, with fixed wireless service providing its own benefits of cost and invaluable time to delivery.”
They urge Ohio officials to reject recent calls to exclude qualified broadband solutions from state funding, particularly wireless-based solutions. The associations oppose provisions in the 2024-2025 budget bill, HB 33 which would limit future state broadband funding to fiber-only projects.
The associations emphasize: “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. We 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.”
Proposals to fund a single technology to achieve universal service will add unnecessary delays and increased costs to meet the goal of universal service, they stress. Requiring a single technology to serve the most remote locations, “particularly one with the highest cost per location passed of commercially available solutions,” will reduce the reach and effectiveness of state programs, explain the groups.
They note that Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) for home broadband accounts for 90 percent of new broadband growth. “With consumers already demonstrating they value this choice in the marketplace, Ohio should consider applications for FWA in the BEAD program,” they explain.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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