June 2021

Shrihari Pandit, CEO of fiber ISP Stealth Communications, argued the creation of an open access conduit system across the US could help spur broadband competition by lowering barriers to entry for new players. Pandit pitched the construction of a conduit highway akin to the Interstate, which would allow fiber to be more easily run between cities and towns. The CEO stressed the government should only be responsible for building the conduits and not for running fiber or other lines, leaving decisions about what technology to use up to providers.

Groups representing broadband providers questioned the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's new "Indicators of Broadband Need" map, with various statements on its efficacy. Cable trade group NCTA - The Internet and Television Association argues that the interactive tool has "obscured, rather than clarified, the true state of broadband with [a] mashup of disparate, and often inaccurate, data sources." NCTA also supports federal efforts to create a "relia