Appropriate role for legacy telcos, cablecos in advanced telecom infrastructure: design, build, operate. But not own.

Finish the Job of Connecting Every American

From COVID relief to budget decisions, take bold and decisive action to finish the job of connecting every American home, business and anchor institution to U.S. broadband infrastructure. Particularly amid a global pandemic, the fact that an estimated 18 million American homes do not have broadband access is unacceptable. Working together—public resources alongside private expertise, technology and networks—this is the most solvable of our nation’s leading challenges. Resources + political will = universal connectivity.

— SPECIFIC 100-DAYS ACTIONS —

• Advance legislation to rapidly and fully invest in the broadband infrastructure programs required to quickly and permanently close the digital divide in America. USTelecom members are ready to immediately go to work with government partners to build these networks, including fiber investment deeper into all corners of America

 https://spark.adobe.com/page/KDnqM9tW5sAo7/#finish-the-job-of-connecting-every-american

The partnership proposed by the industry group USTelecom for the first 100 days of the incoming Biden administration needs clarification that to ensure public funds are appropriately used to build advanced telecom infrastructure and bring fiber to every American doorstep, it should be publicly owned. Subsidies given to legacy incumbent telephone and cable companies since the 1990s have not remedied America's advanced telecom infrastructure deficiencies. Repeating more of the same would be poor public policy. USTelecom members can indeed play a role in this public-private partnership: to design, build and operate. But not own.