Broadband's Impact
At the Scene of the Federal Communications Commission as the Agency Passes Net Neutrality Rules
WASHINGTON, May 16, 2014 – In a Federal Commissions Commission meeting tinged with protest, the agency voted Thursday to begin a process to re-established certain network neutrality rules after they had been struck down by a federal appeals court in January.
On a 3-2 vote, the agency’s three Democrats kicked off a proceeding seeking public input on how to find a solution protecting and promote the open flow of information on the internet that will pass legal scrutiny.
Chairman Tom Wheeler retained the support of Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn – even though Rosenworcel said she only “concurred” with the proposal. […]
Editor’s Note: Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler is attempting to craft legally unassailable rules promoting net neutrality. But he’s run into trouble from all sides. Communications providers aren’t happy. His fellow commissioners aren’t happy. And the “netroots” activists aren’t happy, either.
BroadbandBreakfast.com posts three articles on Thursday’s action at the FCC. First, the scene at 12th Street SW. Second, the reaction from interested parties. Third, what the details of the agency’s order says.
WASHINGTON, May 16, 2014 – In a Federal Commissions Commission meeting tinged with protest, the agency voted Thursday to begin a process to re-established certain network neutrality rules after they had been struck down by a federal appeals court in January.
On a 3-2 vote, the agency’s three Democrats kicked off a proceeding seeking public input on how to find a solution protecting and promote the open flow of information on the internet that will pass legal scrutiny.
Chairman Tom Wheeler retained the support of Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn – even though Rosenworcel said she only “concurred” with the proposal.
At the heart of the debate is whether internet service providers should be permitted to discriminate against internet content providers in the speeds whereby consumers may access data. The agency’s proposed rule would re-enshrine a “no blocking” order, and institute a “commercially reasonable” test to evaluate actions by broadband providers.
The agency also re-iterated and enhanced its existing broadband transparency rules, and proposed to implement a range of new dispute resolution procedures. In a last-minute effort to bolster support among net neutrality advocates who felt his proposals too week, Wheeler added language into the text of the proposed order considering whether broadband providers might be regulated as common carriers under the co-called “Title II” of federal communications law.
Before the meeting even began, protesters camped outside the FCC building to express their support for net neutrality.
Audience members erupted in anger during the meeting itself, disrupting the speeches of the Commissioners.
“This is a moment of crisis in our democracy!” exclaimed a representative of a group called Popular Resistance. “The internet is a common carrier…. We don’t want to see the FCC Commission regulate the internet for the people. We want to regulate it for the corporations!” He was escorted out of the room by guards, but not before a wave of applause.
A woman in the audience immediately followed suit.
“Protect the internet! The internet is our free speech, but in this country, our voice is being taken away!”
Wheeler attempted to quell the disquiet. In his remarks, he pledged to support a robust conception of network neutrality.
“If someone acts to divide internet between ‘have and have-nots,’ we will use every power to stop it.” Wheeler said. “I will take no back seat to anyone that privileges some network users…there is one internet. Not a fast internet, not a slow internet. One internet. It must be fast, robust and open.”
The other commissioners agreed the internet had made America the epicenter of innovation and civic engagement, but expressed varying degrees of support for Wheeler’s approach to net neutrality. Rosenworcel lamented Wheeler’s decision to rush headstrong into an issue that she said the agency didn’t firmly grasp.
Commissioner Ajit Pai argued that the FCC had no business interfering with the relationship between ISPs and their customers.
“[This] should be resolved by people’s elected representatives – those who choose the direction of government, and those who the American people can hold directly accountable,” Pai said. “Rather than turning to Congress, we’ve taken matters into our own hands. We’ve been down this road before. Our two prior attempts to go in alone ended in court defeats.”
Pai called for the FCC to solicit a wide range of perspectives from economists and computer scientists, and to put them up for a discussion at a series of hearings.
Commissioner Michael O’Rielly blasted net neutrality regulations as a slippery slope. He described network prioritization as a vital practice.
“Voice must be prioritized over emails, video over data. Prioritization is not a bad word. It’s a necessary component of reasonable network management,” he said. “There are companies that do business over the internet, including some of the strongest supporters of net neutrality, who routinely pay for a variety of services to ensure the best possible experience for consumers. They’ve been doing it for years.”
Wheeler retorted that as a former entrepreneur, he understood the need for openness better than anyone.
“I have had products and services shut out of closed cable networks,” Wheeler said. “As a [venture capitalist], I invested in companies that wouldn’t have been able to innovate if the network weren’t open. I understand this issue in my bones. I’ve got scars from when my companies were denied access in the pre-internet days.”
Nothing in his proposal would allow for paid prioritization, Wheeler insisted.
Before taking the vote, Wheeler closed his remarks with an expression of gratitude to the American people for their passionate involvement in the important issue.
“The founding fathers must be looking down and smiling at how the republic they created, carried out the ideals they established,” he said. “We look forward to further input… in what has been a decade long effort to preserve the open internet.”
Broadband's Impact
Josephine Bernson: The Customer Experience is About More Than Fiber
‘Listen to the customer’ is a fundamental pillar in gaining a satisfied customer.

Customer experience and the digital customer experience are what makes businesses today stand apart from competitors. In our connected world, it means delivering products and services via high-speed internet, provided by a network that’s reliable and scalable according to rising bandwidth demand.
Yet, we must keep in mind the other component of a first-rate customer experience: customer service excellence.
Customer service excellence, from the beginning
How does a fiber provider successfully work with the customers and the community from the very beginning? And, continue to provide exceptional customer service each day thereafter?
It begins with listening. “Listen to the customer” is a fundamental pillar in gaining a satisfied customer, whether it’s meeting with business executives, community leaders or residents. What are they hoping to achieve with their network, short-term and long-term? Any concerns that should be addressed?
Respond with solutions that meet their needs. Personalization is better than a one-size-fits-all approach. Each customer has different needs and unique bandwidth specifications that should be taken into consideration. For example, the ability to adjust availability to accommodate peak work hours for a financial institution or local government complex or the flexibility needed for a local business that serves an online global market.
Get to know your customers. Focus on getting to know your customers through participating in local events and spending time in the community. Teams that live and work in same community they serve care about providing their neighbors with high-quality products and superior service. Valuable feedback comes from customers who directly interact with local employees immersed in the community.
Timely and convenient customer service options. If there’s a problem, how can customers contact you for a resolution? Does the customer service center or 24/7 operations center always have agents available? Are there easily accessible online resources equipped to handle common questions? Automation is a big trend in CX. While we enjoy our personal relationships with our customers, we also leverage technology for self-service tools. It’s important to enable customers to do business in whichever manner works best for them.
Happy employees for a happy customer experience
Happy employees have long been credited with increased productivity and better service for customers. Great Plains Communications’ culture has always been to attract, train and retain workers from the areas it serves.
Customer service representative Marisa Benham has been with Great Plains Communications for 15 years. “I’ve always been a people person so I really love talking to people! I love helping them figure out what services they want and helping them if they have an issue with their account.”
As for the GPC team itself, she says, “The biggest thing I love about our team is that even though we’re a large company, I feel like we are still trying to get that small company family feel. I really love that about Great Plains as well.”
For any business to survive for a long period it must continually evolve. Great Plains Communications is a 113-year-old company serving nearly 200 Midwestern communities. As a leading digital telecommunications leader, our core focus remains the same: customer service excellence. We believe in our high-performing network and high-performing people.
Customer loyalty depends on the customer experience, but it must be earned. It’s more than state-of-the-art technologies. It’s the people behind the innovation. It’s the teams that deliver and support the technology that make all the difference.
Josephine Bernson is the chief revenue officer at Great Plains Communications. This piece is exclusive to BroadbandBreakfast.
Broadband Breakfast accepts commentary from informed observers of the broadband scene. Please send pieces to commentary@breakfast.media. The views reflected in Expert Opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of Broadband Breakfast and Breakfast Media LLC.
Digital Inclusion
Sean Gonsalves: National Digital Inclusion Alliance Hosts Largest Net Inclusion Gathering
NDIA Executive Director Angela Siefer zeroed in on the need for good data.

With nearly 1,000 in attendance at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in downtown San Antonio for the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) marquee gathering, those on the front lines of bridging the digital divide across the nation came to the three-day conference (Feb 28 to March 2) to network, share lessons, best-practices, and learn from experts as the largest ever federal investment in expanding broadband access is heading to state broadband offices this summer.
Mayor addresses attendees, acknowledges open secret of segregation
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg welcomed attendees, noting how his city was a fitting venue for the event.
“It’s no secret San Antonio is one of the most socio-economically segregated cities in the United States,” he said. “And that’s why we have zeroed-in on equity – in our budget, in who gets invited to the table.”

Nirenberg congratulated NDIA for its work and the attendance record set by this year’s gathering. He also singled out our own outreach coordinator and San Antonio resident DeAnne Cuellar, not only lauding her work with ILSR’s Community Broadband Networks team but for her role in bringing city officials together with Older Adults Technology Services as the city commits to connecting 100,000 older adults in the city.
(ILSR’s Community Broadband Networks team, which has long worked with NDIA participated conducted a workshop, participated in several panels discussions, and hosted a special Connect This! live stream at a social mixer at The Friendly Spot Icehouse.)
“Broadband is a basic human right and is a public utility. That’s why digital inclusion is a pillar of our recovery program,” Nirenberg said, noting how that is reflected in line items in the city’s budget.
Mayor Nirenberg also spoke candidly about injustices that had been baked-in to city and state policies in the past and, whether intentional or not, excluded vulnerable communities across the city, putting them at a socio-economic disadvantage. He said that closing the digital divide was central to correcting those injustices.
He concluded his welcoming remarks encouraging attendees to “use technology to live, learn, work and thrive.”
Texas broadband office announces new network funding opportunity
Also on hand for the conference was Greg Conte, Director of the Texas Broadband Development Office. Conte announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity for $120 million in grants for the construction of new high-speed Internet infrastructure across the Lone Star State.
As projects are funded to build new infrastructure, the state can’t assume people will automatically subscribe for Internet service, as efforts to tackle affordability and adoption are equally important undertakings.
“We want to make sure communities can get online and use it,” he said. “We ask all Texans to help in this process.”
He also briefly touched on something numerous other state broadband offices are in the process of doing: beefing up staff as each state is set to receive an historic amount of federal funds from the bipartisan infrastructure bill’s BEAD program.
Conte was a guest on our Community Broadband Bits podcast last summer in which he discussed the challenges of staffing up his office and addressing the dearth of data about precisely where broadband is and isn’t available across the state.
Engaging other sectors in the work of advocating for more ACP funding
Batting clean-up was NDIA Executive Director Angela Siefer, who first zeroed in on the need for good data that shows and measures how local digital equity programs are working, and how those efforts can be improved.

And while quality robust data is vital, she said, it is also worth thinking about who benefits from expanded broadband access (beyond individual end-users) and how data and stories about digital inclusion initiatives can be used to engage industries and sectors of society who may not see bridging the digital divide as an urgent concern.
That includes the necessity of getting more than just Internet service providers at the table. Buy-in from healthcare providers, educational leaders, captains of retail and commerce, as well as transportation planners and housing officials should be engaged in helping to make broadband available especially for residents who struggle with affordability.
Specifically as it relates to commerce, Siefer noted, “the savings that can come from conducting certain business online can be invested into access.”
Siefer also emphasized the value of digital equity advocates sharing the stories they encounter of the lives impacted by their work with those who may not be tuned into the connectivity crisis that still plagues even such a technologically-sophisticated nation as the U.S.
Lastly, Siefer reminded the attendees that the federal funding that supports the Affordable Connectivity Program will run in the next year or so without additional appropriation from Congress.
“We need more money for the ACP,” she said, adding that it was important for state and local leaders to be pushing their Congressional representatives to replenish the ACP’s coffers.
“The long term plan is that the Universal Service Fund needs to be fixed but that is going to take time. The ACP will run out of funds before the USF is fixed,” she said.
Before the general assembly dispersed to a variety of focused workshops and breakout groups, Siefer ended with a note of encouragement: “Remember you guys are the heroes. You do the work on the ground. But NDIA has your back.”
Watch the plenary sessions below. Also, stay tuned for our new podcast series Building for Digital Equity, which will debut soon and feature interviews with dozens of frontline digital inclusion practitioners discussing the work they are doing in their local communities.
This article originally appeared on the Institute for Local Self Reliance’s Community Broadband Networks project on March 2, 2023, and is reprinted with permission.
Digital Inclusion
NTIA Seeks Comment on How to Spend $2.5 Billion in Digital Equity Act
National Telecommunications and Information Administration is seeking comment on how to structure the programs.

WASHINGTON, March 1, 2023 – The National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced Wednesday that it is seeking comment on how to structure the $2.5 billion that the Digital Equity Act provides to promote digital equity and inclusion.
As part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Digital Equity Act consists of two sub-programs, the State Digital Equity Capacity grant and the Digital Equity Competitive grant. Comments will guide how the NTIA will design, regulate, and evaluate criteria for both programs.
“We need to hear directly from those who are most impacted by the systemic barriers that prevent some from fully utilizing the Internet,” Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said Wednesday at the National Digital Inclusion Alliance’s Net Inclusion event in San Antonio.
See Commerce Secretary Raimondo’s remarks at Net Inclusion:
The request for comment is part of NTIA’s strategy to hear diverse perspectives in implementing its goal to ensure every American has the skills and capacity needed to reap the benefits of the digital economy, stated a press release.
The $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity grant will fund implementation of state digital equity plans which will strategically plan how to overcome barriers faced by communities seeking to achieve digital equity.
Simply making investments in broadband builds is not enough, said Veneeth Iyengar, executive director of ConnectLA, speaking at a Brookings Insitution event in December. Bringing digital equity means “driving adoption, digital skills, and doing the kinds of things that we need to do to tackle the digital divide.”
The $1.25 billion Digital Equity Competitive grant program will fund anchor institutions, such as schools, libraries, and nonprofits, in offering digital inclusion activities that promote internet adoption.
“Community-anchor institutions have been and are the connective tissue that make delivering high-speed internet access possible,” said Alan Davidson, head of the NTIA at AnchorNets 2022 conference.
This announcement follows dissent on the definition of digital discrimination. Commenters to the Federal Communications Commission disagree on whether the intent of a provider should be considered when determining if the provider participated in digital discrimination. There has been no response from the FCC.
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