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Working with Municipalities: One Approach Does Not Fit All

Public-private partnerships where telcos work with municipalities to build and operate broadband networks have proven successful for connecting unserved and underserved rural communities.  Regardless of the terrific work NTCA members have done in providing future-proof connectivity to their subscribers, there are a great number of communities, particularly those served by larger providers, that remain underserved, and those Americans still waiting for connectivity are going to be a key focus for policymakers going forward.  

In a recent discussion about how these partnerships work best, it was clear that local conversations about unique challenges and potential solutions are key. Eric Cramer, general manager of RiverStreet Networks, a subsidiary of Wilkes Communications (Wilkesboro, N.C.), and NTCA Senior Vice President of Industry Affairs and Business Development Mike Romano talked about how RiverStreet has worked with local governments in North Carolina and Virginia to promote an economically feasible broadband option that meets or exceeds residents’ service needs.  

Cramer shared several lessons learned: 

  1. Every state is different. 

  1. An approach that focuses on truly unserved areas and how best to use available public funds at the federal, state and local levels works well for both parties in many cases. 

  1. Areas that are contiguous to existing networks or have willing partners are often good places to start. 

  1. In conversations with local officials, don’t try to be all things to all people. Start small and work towards something big. 

  1. It can take a while to cement the partnership (up to two years in some cases). 

 

With potentially significant additional public funding coming through the president’s infrastructure proposal, now is a good time for NTCA members to learn more about public-private partnerships and how to work with municipalities, Cramer said, understanding that every arrangement is different. “County boards and commissions are seeing extreme urgency to solve this problem for their residents,” he said. “This has become a much bigger problem, and it's right in their face.” 

States are looking for solutions to their fill their broadband gaps, as are local governments. While flat out opening the door and letting municipalities provide broadband that competes with a local, community-based provider is a bad idea and hurts not only a key local business such as an NTCA member company but also has the potential to have rural consumers paying for two high-cost networks, finding ways to bring the talents of both entities to the table in partnership could truly be a local win-win. 

Looking for more help navigating partnerships for rural broadband? Review our discussion guide for municipalities and rural providers.