Monday, May 17, 2021

Fast Enough... For What -- What Exactly Is Broadband?

 At its April 28, 2021, meeting ConnectMaine board members voted to change the definition of broadband in Maine from a download speed of at least 25 Mbps and an upload speed of at least 3 Mbps to 100 Mbps in both directions.  The law that created ConnectMaine requires that the body revisit the definition of broadband it uses in funding broadband improvement projects every year.  A public hearing on this change was held May 13.  The board will consider testimony from that hearing, along with written submissions from interested parties, when it takes final action the change at its meeting on May 26.  

This change, if sustained on May 26, will dramatically change the landscape for the many public entities seeking financial support for infrastructure projects from the several waves of state and federal funds becoming available in the very near future.  It marks a dramatic departure from the incremental, penny-pinching projects funded by ConnectMaine to this point.  With more funds suddenly in prospect, and the likelihood that this is a once-in-a-generation funding opportunity, it makes sense to build an infrastructure that, once established, with stand the test of time, that will suffice for community needs for multiple decades.  

This approach upsets providers with investments in technology inadequate to the proposed new standard.  For instance ISPs that employ fixed wireless, DSL or geosynchronous satellite technology probably can't meet this specification at all.  While low earth orbit satellite service, e.g. Starlink, can meet the download spec if there are no trees in the way, the upload side appears to be currently out of reach.  Some cable television providers may be able to meet these specs technically, but on a shared cable medium it may be difficult to maintain that bandwidth during the business usage periods.  

In short, the new specification can best be met, and possibly can only be met, with optical fiber infrastructure.  Financially stressed providers wedded to lower-performing technologies may be understandably upset.  But it surely seems like the best use of public money is to fix the critical problem of inadequate broadband infrastructure in a manner that it doesn't have to fixed again in 3 years.

And given the amount of public funding on its way, and the guidance so far provided for that funding, it appears that there will be far less subsidized backing for internet providers building out their own network, and far more emphasis on using public funds to build publicly own and controlled networks, with technical support contracted out to vendors on a competitive basis.  How all this shakes out organizationally is very much in flux.  

One of the big question marks in some communities: how publicly funded infrastructure efforts to serve the unservcd constructively interact with encumbent broadband providers who serve a segment of the same geographic area.  If the established service is technologically obsolete, then over-building, covering the same roads with the newer technology is reasonable.  However, if the current vendor is providing optimum service, then some new form of cooperative arrangement will need to be worked out over time.

So, more power to ConnectMaine and its stance in favor of setting a broadband definition that will assuresthe best long-term value from public monies spent to bring modern broadband to the unserved.


Wednesday, April 28, 2021

ConnectMaine Announces Planning Grant Applications Now Open

 At its April 28, 2021 meeting the ConnectMaine Board announced the opening of an application window for planning grants.  Groups seeking financial support for planning activities aimed at development of local broadband infrastructure projects encouraged to apply.  About $130,000 are available on a competitive basis.  Deadline for submission of applications is May 27, 2021.  Grant awards will be announced in late June.  Full info is available in the grants section of the ConnectMaine website.

Broadband Redefined by ConnectMaine Authority

 At its April 28, 2021 meeting the ConnectMaine Authority proposed a new definition of broadband internet service as 100 Mbps down and 100 Mbps up.  This definition supersedes the previous 25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up specification, which has been widely criticized as inadequate to meeting common residential and commercial needs of customers.  This definition will guide ConnectMaine in evaluation of grant proposals for local expansion of service going forward.  It is coupled with a definition of "un-served" that is to be applied to places where at least 50 Mbps down and 10 Mbps up are not available.

ConnectMaine will hold a hearing on this new definition within the next 30 days and also entertain written comments during that period.  Final action on the change will take place at the Board's late May meeting.

Information on this matter should be up on the ConnectMaine website in the next couple days. 


Monday, April 26, 2021

Bi-Partisan Bill to Further Universal Availability of Affordable Broadband in Maine Introduced in the Legislature

 

[The following is lightly edited from a news release published by Governor Mills' office on April 26, 2021.]

The legislation establishes the Maine Connectivity Authority to spearhead use of the large amount of  Federal broadband funding coming to the state in the next several months, with the aim of expanding access to affordable broadband in all parts of the state.

Governor Janet Mills today unveiled legislation to establish the Maine Connectivity Authority, a new entity charged with achieving universal availability of high-speed broadband in Maine. The creation of the Authority comes as Maine is expected to receive as much as $129 million through the American Rescue Act Plan signed into law by President Biden last month that can be used for broadband expansion.

The Maine Connectivity Authority, which would be established under bipartisan legislation (LD 1484) sponsored by Senator Rick Bennett (R-Oxford) and co-sponsored by Representative Seth Berry (D-Bowdoinham) and the other Co-Chairs of the Legislature’s Broadband Caucus, would put Maine in the driver’s seat in expanding affordable broadband.

The Authority would use Maine’s Federal allocation of funding for broadband. Moreover, in a new approach distinct from but inclusive of the ConnectMaine Authority, it would be empowered to own physical broadband infrastructure, such as poles and wires, and hold equity in broadband projects. It would also be empowered to provide grants and loans and partner with the private sector and local communities to leverage investment and coordinate buildout of infrastructure. Taken together, the Authority positions Maine to take a more proactive approach to closing the digital divide in rural and hard-to-reach communities that will focus on meeting Maine’s current and future needs, rather than reacting in a piecemeal fashion with various private companies to construct a patchwork of infrastructure.

“High speed internet is as fundamental as electricity, heat, and water. It is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity. We need to have affordable, high-speed internet throughout our state, and with willpower we will get there,” said Governor Mills. “My Administration has made expanding access to broadband a priority, securing the first state-level investment in more than a decade and bringing high-speed internet access to more families and students across Maine. Taking this step to develop the Maine Connectivity Authority puts us on the best path forward to use the American Rescue Plan funds to expand internet access, especially in rural Maine, and to speed up our economic recovery from the pandemic.”

“This legislation has the promise of making every corner of Maine inviting and prosperous. Nobody will consider moving to a community without high-speed reliable internet. The very survival of many towns across our state is at stake with the decisions we make,” said Senator Bennett. “The pandemic has underscored the disparities of who gets to communicate and who doesn’t. Nobody should be left behind in the digital age. This includes small businesspeople trying to reach customers, students struggling to learn remotely, rural patients pursuing the state-of-the-art tele-health options, and older people trying to keep in touch with family during the pandemic. Their need is urgent, and the time is now for a bold, bipartisan initiative.”

“Fully funded and ably led, the Maine Connectivity Authority may one day be seen as a giant leap for Maine-kind, connecting us to jobs, to learning, to health care, and to one other,” said Representative Berry, who serves as co-chair of the Legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee. “Thanks to President Biden and Congress, to Governor Mills and Senator Bennett, today we glimpse a more connected and prosperous future for Maine.”

The effort to create the Authority also comes at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for accessible, affordable broadband. Last year, as the pandemic took hold, more Maine people began working from home, while businesses, educational institutions, health care providers and others began offering remote services. However, the lack of affordable and accessible broadband, especially in rural areas, limited the ability of Maine people to engage and adequately access services.

The Governor’s Economic Recovery Committee (ERC), charged with charting Maine’s economic recovery after the pandemic, urged the State to prioritize investment in affordable, high-speed broadband statewide to increase access to distance education, remote work, and telemedicine. Specifically, the ERC recommended convening public, private, and philanthropic stakeholders to map, prioritize, and complete program design for universal broadband in anticipation of new funding and advancing digital equity and inclusion by increasing access to broadband, computers, mobile devices, and expanded digital literacy training for historically underserved individuals and communities.

The Authority will pursue these goals. More specifically, under the legislation, the Authority is charged with ensuring:

  • that effective, accessible connectivity be universally available in the state;
  • that there be secure, affordable, reliable, competitive and sustainable forward-looking infrastructure that can meet future needs;
  • and that all residents, businesses and institutions in Maine be able to take full advantage of the economic, health, educational, and other opportunities available through connectivity services.

The legislation creates a Board of Directors to govern the Authority, which will be comprised of seven members appointed to three-year terms. Four members will be appointed by the Governor, one by the Senate President, and by the Speaker of House. The Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development will also hold a seat.

“High-speed broadband is crucial to Maine’s economic future. It will offer options for businesses to start or expand in rural areas,” said Heather Johnson, Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development. “As we look to grow our workforce and bring new people and new jobs to our state, stable funding provided by the American Rescue Plan allows us to optimize a model that aligns to leverage the private sector’s construction and growth planning. This new authority provides a stable ownership of the process of building out the infrastructure needed.”

“The ERC recommended that the State focus on improving access to broadband,”said Joshua Broder, CEO of Tilson and Co-Chair of the Governor’s Economic Recovery Committee. “The pandemic has highlighted the struggle for people who don’t have functional broadband. This new Authority will focus on two of the key issues: infrastructure access and affordability. I applaud this bipartisan effort to support proactive, affordable, high-speed access for all Maine people.”

The legislation is scheduled for a public hearing tomorrow, Tuesday, April 27, 2021 before the Legislature’s Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology.

The creation of the Authority is the next step forward in Governor Mills’ commitment to expanding access to affordable broadband in Maine, one of her top priorities. Last year, the Governor secured the approval of a $15 million bond proposal for broadband, the first new investment in internet expansion in more than a decade, and her Administration is also spearing a broadband mapping initiative to facilitate the expansion of broadband into areas with inadequate service.

Last year, the Governor also dedicated $5.6 million in CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds in partnership with private internet providers to buildout permanent internet infrastructure to more than 730 students across rural Maine. The initiative built on the Mills Administration’s previous work to secure mobile hotspots and learning devices for nearly 24,000 students across Maine after schools suspended in-classroom instruction and adopted remote learning earlier this year.

The original news release from Governor Mills' office

A copy of the proposed legislation 

 

Thursday, April 22, 2021

Consolidated Announces Broadband Expansion Plans For Maine

 Consolidated Communications today publicized its plans to extend fiber broadband to 11,500 Mainers starting in early 2022.  This activity is underwritten by $31 million from the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) reverse auction held last fall.  The firm has six years to complete the expansion work it proposed.  Midcoast Maine communities included in the published list include Belfast and Winterport.  No towns in Knox or Lincoln County were included.   The story includes some general statements by the firm in regard to modernization of its network.

Bangor Daily April 22 2021 Article

For further info about RDOF awards in Maine, see my December 8, 2020 blog post

Searsport Broadband Committee Favors Publicly Owned Expansion Option

 A March 31, 2021 article in the Village Soup Waldo Edition contains interesting notes on points to consider between a municipally owned broadband expansion and working to subsidize expansion  by an existing provider (either Spectrum or Consolidated Communications in this case). 

 https://knox.villagesoup.com/p/the-race-is-on-to-gather-towns-grants-for-expanded-broadband/1888082

Further details, as of April 22:

https://bangordailynews.com/2021/04/22/news/midcoast/searsport-wants-to-bring-high-speed-internet-to-every-house-in-town/ 

Midcoast Towns Look at LCI Fiber Initiatives and Midcoast Internet Consortium Publicly Owned Approach

 

 An April 15 article in the Village Soup Knox Edition reviews discussions in multiple midcoast towns.  What is the best model for providing modern broadband to everyone in a community?  Support for subsidizing the expansion of an existing provider's local network?  A regional non-profit utility that would fund and own the network in its entirety?  I single-town publicly owned broadband utility that contracts for provider services? 

With the prospect of substantial federal and state broadband funding an imminent reality, the choices for unserved and under-served communities have taken on increased urgency.  This article offers some very current and very local grist for that discussion.

https://knox.villagesoup.com/p/the-race-is-on-to-gather-towns-grants-for-expanded-broadband/1888082

Hope Joins with LCI in ConnectMaine Infrastructure Grant Application

The Village Soup Knox Edition reports that the Hope Select Board voted unanimously to support the Connect Maine Infrastructure Grant application of LCI Fiber.  Reservations were expressed, however, with respect LCI's wish to require that broadband subscribers also pay for landline telephone service.  Mention was also made of concern over the a mandatory subscription commitment on the part of customers.  

Notwithstanding this endorsement, the Select Board also maintains interest in the poossibility of providing broadband to the community through the mechanism of the non-profit Midcoast Internet Consortium.

https://knox.villagesoup.com/p/hope-board-approves-lci-broadband-grant-effort/1888510

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

The $71,175,908.30 Question

 On Dec 7, 2020, the FCC announced the results of a complex auction conducted nationally among potential providers of broadband internet services to unserved and underserved rural areas across America.  The $71M+ is Maine's share of $9.2 billion.  The funds will be provided to the following 4 internet providers over the next 10 years as they meet commitments to expand broadband service in areas designated as needing it:

                                                            Amount        Locations

Consolidated Communications       31,067,177        11,513
Pioneer Wireless                                3,543,142         1,638
Redzone Wireless                                 507,752            755
Space-X                                           34,057,837       13,849

Exactly how this is going to work is still not clear to me.  I intend to read the documentation for this important program at 

https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-auction-bring-broadband-over-10-million-rural-americans 

and offer further observations thereafter.  

Two preliminary observations:

1.  That Space-X was able to demonstrate the adequacy of its  emerging service to the satisfaction of the FCC is significant.  One would expect that the initial and ongoing costs about which I had substantial reservations in a previous past will be ameliorated for at least the 13,000+ underserved Mainers that are in the crosshairs for Space-X.

2.  The meaning of the maps ostensibly portraying unserved and underserved areas in Maine is not at all clear.  A cursory glance at my town, Northport, seems to be pretty inaccurate.  How these maps are to be used is a really important question, and one that requires at the least a more thorough reading of the program materials than I have had time for to this point.

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

How Much is Too Much for Broadband

 So if Starlink is too expensive at current rates ($99/month plus $500 for the hardware), what would be a more acceptable price?  

For folks in really difficult economic circumstances, nothing beats free.  Among inveterate bargain hunters, nothing beats a really, really low price.  But free only means someone else foots the bill, because there are real and substantial costs for the terminal hardware.  Oh, and the thousands of satellites that need to be launched, maintained, and over a 5-6 yr cycle replaced.  

That being said, I think the sweet spot in terms of consumer uptake would be at $50-70/month plus $100-200 for the terminal hardware.  

Space-X refers to the current service, just now starting public beta test, as a "better than nothing" service.  Maybe as the service evolves to better than "better than nothing" the costs be can reduced a bit with economies of scale.  Hope so.