Sep 21, 2023

PUC must ensure that unserved and underserved residents have access they deserve Share this: | UPDATED: September 21, 2023 at 5:23 a.m. “Leave no family behind.”  That’s the ambitious and appropriate goal of Gov. Gavin Newsom and the federal government’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to bring affordable, reliable, high-speed, home broadband to every unserved and underserved family in California. Like water and electricity, home broadband is essential. Reliable internet impacts our ability to access telehealth, education, jobs, public safety and emergency services. With state and federal funds described as “once-in-a-lifetime” to finally bridge the digital divide, we have the opportunity to meet the moment and achieve this vital goal. In California alone, 996,302 locations — primarily families — are depending on our policymakers to get this right. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) appropriately insists that reliable home broadband deliver 100 megabits per second (Mbps) “download” and 20 Mbps “upload.”  To meet (or exceed!) that 100/20 Mbps broadband standard, both the U.S. Congress and our state Legislature underscore a “standards-based” approach, whether it’s done via fiber, fixed wireless or satellite. Three key realities are critical for success: 1) Technology advances. At Tarana Wireless, a next-generation fixed wireless access company headquartered in Silicon Valley, we believe that fiber is the “gold standard.”  The challenge, of course, is that in many suburban, rural, and tribal communities, it can be incredibly expensive and timely to construct the required infrastructure. In some cases, another tool in the toolkit is required. Overcoming the limitations of traditional fixed wireless, Tarana’s technology achieves reliable “non-line-of-sight” connectivity, delivering reliable signals despite obstructions like buildings, trees or bad weather. Next generation fixed wireless access is another great broadband tool that meets, and greatly exceeds, the FCC’s “100/20” standard with up to 800 Mbps — soon 1 Gbps and beyond — with the fast and cost-efficient deployment enabled by fixed wireless. 2) Finances are finite. Kudos to President Biden, Congress, Gov. Newsom and the California Legislature for making once-in-a-lifetime investments to finally bridge the digital divide in a timely fashion. They have allocated billions of dollars, with the specific goal to serve “100% of unserved and underserved families.”  However, if California pursues a technology-specific approach over a standards-based approach, we will still be billions of dollars short and leave hundreds of thousands of California families on the wrong side of the digital divide. This will be especially true in suburban, rural, and tribal communities — and even families along “stranded streets” in our urban areas. Luckily, this is easily solved by using the appropriate tool for each job through a standards-based approach. 3) Timely deployment matters. Another key challenge to fiber broadband is the time it takes to deploy. For example, my son Jake just started first grade. If we lived in a rural community, Jake could easily be in fifth to seventh grade before fiber was brought to our home (assuming funding hadn’t already run out), permanently losing another generation of students to the digital divide. Currently, the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is considering how to meet the mandates set by Congress and California lawmakers to ensure affordable, reliable, high-speed home broadband for every Californian. Their decision will determine the fate of nearly 1 million unserved and underserved locations throughout our state. For households, averaging three people per home, that’s as many as 3 million Californians. We cannot afford to fail. Fortunately, success is within reach with a standards-based approach — which leaves no California family behind. So, here’s your “home broadband homework;” Contact the PUC. Engage. Carl Guardino is vice president for global government affairs and policy for Tarana Wireless. He also serves as vice chair of the California Transportation Commission.