Now that federal lawmakers have passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which includes $7.2 billion for broadband buildouts, states want in on the action, too. Many are hoping to help advise the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, which is distributing $4.7 billion in grants, so they can deploy high-speed Internet to unserved and underserved regions in their jurisdiction. Massachusetts is among the most vocal states on this front and Commissioner Sharon Gillett discussed the rationale in-depth at the “Perspective of the State Commissioners” session on Wednesday.
The Bay State inadvertently got a jump on Congress in August 2008 when the governor signed a bill that created the Massachusetts Broadband Institute. It’s a quasi-public agency that’s working to expand broadband availability by pursuing opportunities such as stimulus funds, Gillett explained. As such, Massachusetts wants to partner with communications companies – including CLECs that only serve businesses. Massachusetts desperately needs more residential broadband, Gillett said, but there’s room for both types of providers.
One of her main concerns is that companies that do build in Massachusetts – whether receiving state or federal money – commit to renewing that infrastructure, "not just building it once and letting it rot over the years.”
“This only works if companies are willing to partner with us,” Gillett told session leader Joe Gillan.
And the more providers involved, the better, she said. In the minds of Massachusetts commissioners, one service provider in a given area is insufficient.
Gillett and Gillan also discussed issues including forbearance, interconnection and data-sharing with the FCC.
