These obstacles are getting in the way of expanding broadband in North Carolina

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Free up access to utility poles in NC

The writer is a former U.S. Rep in NC’s 2nd District.

For many months during the pandemic, Americans were forced to function remotely and were dependent upon internet access to stay connected with work or school. Those who lacked quality access fell behind.

With recent passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act, $65 billion in federal funds will be used to expand broadband infrastructure to underserved communities across the US. The bill’s long overdue investment in broadband expansion offers great promise in bridging the digital divide between urban and rural America, but significant barriers still exist in terms of deployment, primarily due to outdated and inefficient utility pole access rules.

Utility poles act as the driving force for our country’s infrastructure. Internet providers will require access to utility poles to provide homes with broadband. Internet providers typically do not own the poles so for any broadband expansion to begin, the pole owners and those doing the expansion must come to an agreement that allows providers to access poles and attach their technology.

While this process may seem straightforward, often times it’s not. Internet providers are willing to pay the necessary fees to owners to cover the cost of access, but the system lacks a consistent framework for how responsibilities are divided or how disputes should be resolved. If disagreements arise, there’s no telling how long it will take for providers to get the needed pole access and for expanded broadband to be deployed. The biggest losers in any delay are the communities that are underserved.

Legislative action can and should be taken to modernize the pole processes and expedite broadband deployment. Congress should remove the barriers that cause delays for permits and access to poles.

We need faster, fairer standards for pole access so underserved Americans can get online now. For the nearly 14 million Americans who live in areas with no high-speed internet access, including 470,000 in N.C., there’s no time to spare.

Bob Etheridge, Lillington

End NC broadband restrictions

The writer is mayor in Kings Mountain and a N.C. League of Municipalities vice president.

Hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars are about to be spent to close North Carolina’s digital divide. North Carolinians should ask political leaders one question: Will it be spent to get the biggest bang for the buck for most people?

Unfortunately, the answer may be: no. North Carolina is one of more than a dozen states that have legal barriers that restrict cities and towns from spending money on broadband infrastructure. These laws are largely the result of lobbying efforts by large telecommunication companies that fear competition from city-arranged partnerships with smaller telecoms.

The American Rescue Plan Act provided more than $1.3 billion to N.C. cities, partly for broadband infrastructure. But N.C. law largely prevents cities from spending on fiber line construction, except for internal uses such as emergency communications. So the ARP funding N.C. gets will go directly to the telecoms or flow through county governments to existing private providers. While some residents and businesses will benefit, real competition won’t result for the majority of North Carolinians in need of reliable, fast broadband.

Also, to get federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act dollars N.C. must compete with other states, many of which have already changed state laws to smooth the way for local government investment in broadband.

For several years, the N.C. League of Municipalities has advocated for rolling back restrictive state laws to better enable partnerships between cities and private internet providers to improve service. Cities would provide the backbone for internet access because better internet service is vital to the economic survival of rural towns.

With billions now available for broadband, enabling public-private partnerships is more critical than ever. The N.C. legislature must pass laws to assist, rather than hinder, these partnerships. At the very least, it should remove these restrictions as soon as possible.

Scott Neisler, Kings Mountain