Broadband Communities

NOV-DEC 2013

BROADBAND COMMUNITIES is the leading source of information on digital and broadband technologies for buildings and communities. Our editorial aims to accelerate the deployment of Fiber-To-The-Home and Fiber-To-The-Premises.

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Asset Mapping Catalyzes Broadband Development Communities can jump start broadband investment with a sophisticated understanding of the assets they can ofer to Internet service providers. By Brian Meford / Connected Nation Exchange P rivate investment in broadband networks is at an all-time high. In addition, the federal Connect America Fund has allocated $4.5 billion annually, through 2018, to the promotion of broadband access, and Congress has created a nationwide frst responder network, FirstNet, built on broadband. Finally, smartphone and tablet penetration are rapidly increasing the demand for broadband for personal use, business, education, health care and more. Communities that act proactively will attract investment from Internet service providers. Tose that do not will quickly be left behind. One necessary step for communities to position themselves for this shift is technological asset mapping. Asset mapping is the process of identifying, measuring and evaluating a community's resources. Before community leaders can plan, they must fully comprehend their current situation. Used properly, asset maps can encourage investment, facilitate partnerships and help recruit companies. Sophisticated asset maps take into consideration the most recent advances in technology – and invariably identify resources that communities have not considered, in large part because technological innovation can transform resources and leverage new market conditions. Yesterday's unused resources are today's untapped assets. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 | KANSAS AND KENTUCKY BENEFIT FROM ASSET MAPPING When AT&T; sought to expand its 4G LTE wireless service in Palo Alto in 2011, it ran into considerable investment hurdles. Fighting to maintain the aesthetic integrity of their town, community members frst staunchly opposed towers, then resisted a distributed antenna system. For more than two years, AT&T; was forced to repeatedly reassess and redesign its expansion strategy. At last, after agreeing to a multitude of conditions and receiving endorsements from the city's utilities department, an arborist and a third-party consultant, AT&T; was able to move forward on a plan that used dozens of less-intrusive smallcell wireless Internet cells. Te delay and repeated disruption of the approval process represents a signifcant – and often prohibitive – barrier to investment. Internet service providers can often be dissuaded by these hurdles and decide not to invest in a community. However, communities have another option: altering this costbeneft equation by mapping their assets and eliminating investment hurdles. Tis was efectively demonstrated recently in both Kansas and Kentucky. When Google announced it would launch a mega-speed Internet project, many cities applied. Kansas City won because it not only presented a sophisticated understanding of its assets but also www.broadbandcommunities.com | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | 97

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