Options for Accelerating Great American Broadband

While my voting habits are partisan, I view broadband as potentially bi-partisan. The substance of my three recent speeches, written before the election, were consciously designed to communicate the same messages regardless of outcome.

Today’s topic, relevant regardless of election results, is how best to utilize the bi-partisan consensus that we need better infrastructure, including our broadband networks. I will set out different approaches, not with an eye toward advocating what is best, but, rather, laying out different options for how effectively targeting funds. I can see at least seven potential targets, none of which are exclusive. Many are complementary. These are: 1) An Anchor Strategy, 2) Middle Mile Strategy, 3) A Final Mile Strategy, 4) A Next Gen Strategy, 5) Digital Enterprise Zones, 6) State Block Grant Strategy, and 7) A City Block Grants Strategy.

[Levin serves as a non-resident Senior Fellow of the Metropolitan Policy Project of the Brookings Institute]