ACLP Presentation During Broadband Communities Summit 2024
On May 7, the ACLP participated in the Broadband Communities Summit in Houston, TX. The ACLP was invited to provide a standalone presentation on “Equity-Driven Broadband Planning in Served Communities.” A copy of the presentation is available here.
A core theme of the presentation is that served communities – i.e., those cities and towns with few or no BEAD-eligible locations – should focus vastly more resources on demand-side issues. If local officials are truly invested and interested in closing digital divides, then served communities should focus on addressing barriers to broadband adoption in under-adopting communities rather than building duplicative broadband networks or offering significant concessions to entice new entrants.
In support of this argument, the presentation highlighted:
- The extent to which communities across the country are served;
- How broadband maps being refined through the BEAD process will offer the best look yet at broadband availability;
- The positive impacts of ACP vis-à-vis bringing more people online;
- The persistence of stubborn barriers to broadband adoption among seniors, people with disabilities, low-income households, and others;
- The need for a holistic approach to closing adoption gaps by demonstrating the usefulness of broadband to those who think they do not need it; and
- The importance of long-term digital equity planning to ensure the sustainability and help with the scaling of successful demand-side programs.
Michael Santorelli is the Director of the ACLP.