Connecting the Unconnected. Finally.

The Biden Administration’s goals of restoring a functional federal government, driving economic recovery, and “building back better” lend themselves to a new strategy for universalizing broadband, with a three-pronged approach to directly address each of the barriers I have described that have stalled universal access. First, any significant plan for investing in infrastructure must include sufficient funding in the form of grants and loans for both initial capital investment and ongoing operations and maintenance of universal, future-proofed broadband networks. Second, the Administration should recognize that the task of universalizing broadband has become too important to remain solely the domain of telecom policy. Rather, broadband needs to be elevated to reflect its role as part of the foundation for almost every aspect of the domestic recovery, from remote learning to rural development, telehealth to structural equality. Third, policymakers and advocates need to recognize that, for better or worse, Internet service is going to continue to be provided, on the whole, by a handful of private companies. If the government is going to subsidize companies’ network deployments, then the dollars should be conditional on providers offering affordable services for the lifetime of the network. Similarly, if the government is going to subsidize adoption, the taxpayer should get a volume discount, not pay retail rates or settle for sub-standard service that continues to disadvantage low-income consumers.

[Paul de Sa is a co-founder of advisory firm Quadra Partners and served as Chief of the FCC’s Office of Strategic Planning from 2009-12 and 2016-17.]