Urges FCC To Take Additional Steps To Encourage Network Deployment in Rural America
PITTSBURGH, September 21, 2020 – ACA Connects, whose members provide broadband service to millions of rural consumers, urged the Federal Communications Commission to find that broadband Internet access continues to be deployed in a reasonable and timely fashion, adding that network performance during the height of the COVID-19 crisis also demonstrated these networks’ robustness and reliability.
“This success story is the result of broadband providers’ sustained investments in their networks – driven to a significant extent by competitive forces, a light-touch regulatory regime and the FCC’s efforts to remove barriers to deployment – to meet their customers’ rapidly growing appetites for high-performance, high-capacity broadband service,” ACA Connects President and CEO Matthew M. Polka said.
The FCC defines broadband as the provision of 25/3 Mbps speed from fixed broadband service, viewing it as the level necessary to provide users the ability to originate and receive high-quality voice, data, graphics, and video telecommunications. ACA urged the FCC to maintain the same benchmark because doing so facilitates the ability to make useful year-to-year comparisons in terms of measuring progress.
ACA Connects’ position came in comments filed with the agency on Sept. 18 in connection with the agency’s annual inquiry concerning deployment of advanced telecommunications capability to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion.
ACA Connects’ comments cited numerous instances where members have made investments that resulted in consumer access to broadband speeds in both directions that far exceed the FCC’s definitional threshold. The comments also underscored the steps ACA Connects members have taken to meet the needs of families, students and anchor institution that were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
Agreeing with the FCC’s observation in the notice seeking comment, ACA Connects said there are areas that remain unserved and therefore the FCC’s work is not done. ACA Connects encouraged the FCC to take further steps to stimulate deployment in these unserved areas and close the digital divide.
To make even more progress, the ACA Connects encouraged the FCC to take regulatory action to ensure that the costs to replace utility poles are fairly and proportionately allocated among pole owners and other parties that benefit from a replacement, such that new attachers are not forced to bear the entirety of these costs.
In addition, to maximize the “bang for the buck,” the FCC and other Federal and State agencies should define granularly the areas that need broadband funding support, so as to avoid overbuilding private investment. Also, where appropriate, agencies should pursue auctions or similar mechanisms to award support on a competitive basis, with substantial weight given to bidders that will deploy higher-performance networks.
“The FCC’s Connect America Fund and RDOF auctions have taken substantial steps in this direction, and the FCC should seek to build on these programs and incorporate ‘lessons learned’ into future funding initiatives,” Polka said.
About ACA Connects: America’s Communications Association – Based in Pittsburgh, ACA Connects is a trade organization representing more than 700 smaller and medium-sized, independent companies that provide broadband, phone and video services to nearly 8 million customers primarily located in rural and smaller suburban markets across America. Through active participation in the regulatory and legislative process in Washington, D.C., ACA Connects’ members work together to advance the interests of their customers and ensure the future competitiveness and viability of their businesses. For more information, visit: https://www.acaconnects.org