Recognizing that government at all levels can become partners rather than obstacles in deployment of broadband networks across the state, the McCrory administration has unveiled a “State Broadband Plan” that aims at providing “universal access” for N.C. residents by 2021.

The governor wants to expand the reach of high-speed Internet networks, especially in schools and for students at home as well as for medical applications, workforce development and for use by first responders.

A top priority is extending wireless (WiFi) Internet to all public schools by 2018 from the current 65 percent.

The state is the leader in the southeast for high-speed Internet availability to its population at 93 percent, according to FCC data. Yet 750,000 North Carolinians still lack access to high-speed Internet, the report notes, and the majority of those live in rural areas.

The plan, which was unveiled Tuesday, doesn’t call for specific levels of funding to help expand connectivity but on better coordination of existing federal and state funding sources. The report with the 2021 target date was required by the General Assembly in legislation approved last year.

(WTW is getting reaction to the plan: Century Link, Frontier speak out.)

Crucial to expansion is less regulation and more partnerships with the private sector. “[C]ompetition through updated policies and laws” a plan overview says. “In areas where competition is lacking, policy makers must empower communities to form more equitable partnerships with service providers.”

Gov. Pat McCrory and the Broadband Infrastructure Office within the North Carolina Department of Information Technology which wrote the 75-page document, acknowledge that governments need to be better partners in working with private sector developers to spread high-speed Internet access across all 100 counties.

“I am pleased to say that North Carolina leads the nation in many measurable categories such as the percentage of the population with access to high-speed internet and public school connectivity,” N.C.’s Chief Information Technology Officer Keith Werner wrote in an introductory letter included with the report. “But, according to the Federal Communications Commission, almost 750,000 North Carolinians still do not have high-speed internet access, and eighty-nine percent of those citizens live in sparsely populated communities and counties. So, there is still more to be done.”

Werner said “active” and “engaged” communities as well as partnerships were crucial in expanding broadband.

“This plan helps the state put in place the policies and tools needed to address the growing needs of our citizens,” he added in a statement. “Through the course of writing the plan, we found two common themes: active and engaged communities and their partnerships with private sector Internet service providers are the biggest factors in bridging existing digital divides.”

The plan uses the term “EIncentivize” to describe how the administration proposes to the General Assembly that governments can in its view best work with providers in encouraging them to invest in more, better infrastructure.

The approach is not new. Local governments have cleared the way for a far-reaching strategy by incentivizing providers in their own ways to bring broadband to their respective communities.

Private-public partnerships

Two recent private sector deployments and one public sector network, for example, demonstrate how providers will make deployment decisions when helped by governments.

  • The North Carolina Next Generation Network, a fiber-optic network offering Internet access and related services at gigabit speeds, is being built in the Triangle and Triad with the cooperation of local municipal governments and universities. Among concessions made to encourage building of the network, these governments such as zoning and access to municipal right-of-ways.
  • MCNC has built a state-wide fiber network with the help of counties, municipalities, education, state agencies, healthcare providers and others. The network, however, does not provide service to private sector companies. Providers can lease unused fiber to extend connectivity to businesses and consumers. The network was built in part with funding from MCNC, grants from the Golden LEAF economic development group, private sector partners as grants from the federal government.
  • Google Fiber is deploying a network in the Triangle, making it one of the first regions selected for deployment after the company secured cooperation from local governments in matters such as zoning, right-of-way access, and placement of equipment on property leased from governments.

“We have made significant progress to improve North Carolina’s broadband infrastructure and increase access for affordable high-speed internet, especially for small businesses and in our classrooms,” McCrory said in releasing the report. “This plan will build on our progress and further position North Carolina as a leader in ensuring that our infrastructure meets our growing demand.”

Next steps

Specific recommendations include:

1. EIncentivize investment in next generation, future-proof infrastructure and reduce barriers to deployment.

2. Create community-based adoption and utilization programs and initiatives

3. Close the ‘homework gap’ for K-12 students without access at home

4. Facilitate integration of broadband into economic development strategies

5. Recognize and leverage the influence telehealth technologies’ have on household broadband adoption and use

6. Enhance public safety and first responder connectivity, by continuing the pursuit of a state-wide, interoperable data network and the Next-Generation 911 initiative.

The plan is based on interviews, feedback and information gathered from “nearly 80 subject matter experts” and a survey of 3,500 local leaders.

Read the report at:

https://ncbroadband.gov/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/ncjkskfns.pdf