Digital Infrastructure Investment 2024 is ‘All-in’ on Open Access

AT&T, T-Mobile increase visibility and credibility of the open access model.

Open access networks are gaining greater traction nationwide.

Digital Infrastructure Investment 2024 is 'All-in' on Open Access on September 19, 2024.

The risk with today’s most common partnerships is that once the private partner owns the last mile, the municipality loses control.

State-by-state broadband pages for every U.S. state and territory.

To succeed with your investment, you need to understand market dynamics, control costs, and adopt advanced software solutions

Broadband is a utility that's a little bit like plumbing – just sexier.

While supporting the momentum behind open access networks, Sumofiber president lays out some challenges.

The company's CEO said he expects states to set BEAD terms favorable to open access builds.

The country boasts internet penetration with 98% served with Gigabit symmetrical speeds.

The digital infrastructure is evolving at exponential rates and the demand for smarter systems and a more connected world is imperative to the progression of our communities.

The rapidly expanding open access network has historically faced consistent opposition from anti-muni groups.

At the Digital Infrastructure Investment Summit, five experts debate the essence of 'open access networks'.

The model is well-suited to address the problem of indoor connectivity, experts said.

The open access model allows multiple ISPs to use the same infrastructure. That could benefit Gigapower.

A tutorial for investors, broadband providers, and political leaders

Gigapower CEO Bill Hogg and AT&T President Erin Scarborough headline event.

The service provides a centralized communication hub and technical support for open access networks.

Migrating into a full utility may take decades, but municipalities should be prepared.

Capping the number of providers could solve price war problems, one telecom exec said.

UTOPIA continues to expand open access model builds.

In a new joint venture, AT&T will expand its fiber network across the nation.

Broadband infrastructure can be seen as a fourth utility after water, gas and electricity.

Network operators can take steps to prevent the biggest risk to open-access networks: A race to the bottom.

Cities are being drawn to open-access deployment models, say panelists.

‘Getting broadband out to all rural areas and all residents of Lewis County,’ Washington.

Panel 3 video. Join the Broadband Breakfast Club to watch the full-length videos from Digital Infrastructure Investment.

Premium Posts & Reports

The conversation dealt with open access networks, and whether cities are well-suited to play a role in developing them.

With service beginning in late September, non-profit fiber ISP aims to serve rural Gallatin County

Netly Fiber said Monday it has completed construction of the nation’s first terabit-ready fiber network.

Both the GSCA and Yellowstone Fiber are using UTOPIA’s techniques to provide open access broadband over fiber.

The open access project will span 38 counties.

Lit Communities will operate the network, with subsidiary BTX Fiber as the last-mile provider. HMI Utilities is prime contractor.

The project will be Montana’s first open-access fiber-to-the-home network.

CEO contrasted SiFi Network’s model versus the Google Fiber model that builds infrastructure where there’s demand.

The expansion will bring fiber-to-the-home to residents of two additional Utahn cities.

Keller and Heckman Partner Jim Baller says model could lead to a race to the bottom, but UTOPIA CEO disagrees.

UTOPIA customers deep in red states favor net neutrality by a wide margin.

City’s technology staff has been working with a consultant to draft design recommendations for the fiber network.

Open RAN adoption is said to save telecoms money and boost security, as providers are forced to move off Huawei.

Fiber builder says it has been denied permits that have harmed it and its customers, despite an existing city agreement.

Chattanooga’s municipal broadband network has delivered $2.7 billion in social and economic benefits during its first decade.

SiFi Networks uses private capital, at no cost to taxpayers, to fund its open access model.

Even though the models are not yet mainstream, some experts praise them for their unique advantages.

Open access to middle mile infrastructure will help deliver services at the last mile, CETF says.

Counties see it as a way to increase competition and lower prices, while telecoms see money and quality problems.

SiFi is getting an injection of funds to deliver open fiber to cities.

By creating open infrastructure systems, states can reduce the barriers to entry and foster increased broadband competition.

Both emerging and established internet service providers will stand to gain from SiFi Networks’ shared broadband model.

T-Mobile sued over breach, Google hopes judge reconsiders data reveal, UTOPIA Fiber expands into Syracuse City.

Jamestown is hoping an open access network would make internet more affordable.

In the U.S. UTOPIA Fiber has pioneered the open access model for the rest of the industry.

Fiber Connect 2021 panel breaks down how open access models work, and how discussion can be framed.

Open access provisions in municipal builds could alleviate fears of competition concerns with ISPs.

Open access last-mile networks are an area of great commercial innovation and ferment in the United States right now.

Experts argue the 5G core network may need to be open to fully realize goals of next-gen wireless networks.

The House Energy and Commerce committee heard arguments that open access to networks is crucial for competition and affordability.

The disaster in Texas resulting from an electric grid that was deliberately left exposed and likely to fail in rare cold weather events has received a lot of dramatic coverage, as well it should given the loss of life and damage to so many homes and businesses. It also raised some questions in my mi

Though Washington is home to one of the nation’s fastest growing tech hubs, many communities throughout the state lack adequate broadband infrastructure. The stark divide between those Washingtonians with reliable home broadband connections, and those without, became especially salient last year, wh

February 23, 2021—During the COVID-19 pandemic, television broadcasting stations have implemented datacasting technology to assist in the distance learning that many American children now face, though issues persist. Datacasting refers to the practice of using radiofrequency spectrum currently occup

If you have been following our series on the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act, you already know the proposed legislation calls for a $100 billion investment in expanding broadband access and affordability in unserved and underserved parts of the country. In this fourth installment of the

December 17, 2020 – UTOPIA Fiber announced Tuesday that it had fully built its fiber-to-the-home broadband network in the City of West Point, Utah. The $7.2 million project, announced after a unanimous city council vote, gives every residence and business in West Point access to the fastest internet

December 6, 2020 — Panelists involved in open access networks across the United States got into a fiery debate over the best model to follow when constructing an open access network. The exchange occurred during Thursday’s episode of Connect This!, a series sponsored by the Institute for Local Self-

September 28, 2020 — COS Systems, a company which has been automating service provisioning on fiber networks in Europe since 2008, is working in partnership with Nokia to introduce this functionality to open access networks in North America. Auto-provisioning, or automatic zero-touch provisioning, o

In the United Kingdom a network utilizing a wholesale model, CityFibre Networks, is taking the country by storm.

September 16, 2020 — During a virtual Q&A session hosted by the Broadband Bunch on Tuesday, a panel of open access enthusiasts discussed whether or not the United States is ready to embrace open access networks. While the panelists tried to remain hopeful about the knowledge level the public has abo

August 30, 2020 — In a neighborhood outside of Silicon Valley, amongst what native Scott Vanderlip described as “a community full of tech geeks,” residents struggled to access reliable, affordable internet, despite being able to see the headquarter buildings of some of the largest tech companies fro

August 11, 2020 — Open access infrastructure is crucial, but it is difficult to raise the capital it requires, said participants in Broadband Breakfast’s Digital Infrastructure Investment conference on Monday. The panel on infrastructure investment funds featured a discussion about the challenges an

August 11, 2020 — As America prioritizes closing the digital divide, critical last-mile digital infrastructure ownership models are expanding and differentiating to serve the unserved. Different towns across America are in different situations in terms of the availability of existing digital infrast

August 6, 2020 — UTOPIA Fiber announced a $13.8 million contract to build a Fiber-to-the-Home network in Clearfield, Utah on Monday. The decision, which was passed unanimously by the city council, will bring the network to all 32,000 residents of Clearfield. “The pandemic has driven internet usage t

August 4, 2020 — Open Radio Access Network technologies have a bright future and a diverse range of applications, said participants in an Open RAN Policy Coalition webinar Tuesday. The webinar, titled “Open RAN 101: Promoting a Diverse and Competitive Market for 5G and Advanced Wireless Technologies

The United States’ first municipally owned open-access fiber network continues to revitalize the business sector of Danville, Virginia.

June 10, 2020 — The U.S. should follow the European example of investing in wholesale open access infrastructure models, said panelists at a Broadband Breakfast Live Online event Wednesday. One company that has found success using a purely wholesale model is the U.K.’s CityFibre. “We chose a model t

Who will construct, finance own and operate digital infrastructure needs of the future?

'Some are scared when something new comes. Sweden is always early.'

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2020 – Breakfast Media LLC, the publisher of Broadband Breakfast, on Tuesday announced that its Digital Infrastructure Investment mini-conference at the Broadband Communities Summit will be a Physical/Virtual event. Visit Broadband Breakfast’s event page for the most up-to-date

U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Bette Brand announced Monday that the USDA was opening a second application window for $72 million worth of funding under the Distance Learning and Telemedicine grant program. “Due to the COVID-19 National Emergency, USDA is

Editor’s Note, April 14, 2020 – Please note that the Broadband Communities Conference has been rescheduled for August 10-13, 2020, in Houston. See “Broadband Communities and Rural Telecommunications Congress Announce Postponed Summit on August 10-13, 2020.” The Digital Infrastructure Investment even

“The future of our economy is dependent upon how we treat our most vulnerable communities, including those most susceptible to job displacement/job disruption,” Federal Communications Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said at a Tuesday roundtable on the future of work. Highlighting the job-loss concerns

For starters, you’ll make more money. Figure contrasts 1. incumbent cable oligopoly territory divisions, 2. 2,700 local ISPs (map by Zhuangyuan Fan), 3. StarLink   Greetings Gwynne, Elon and Team Starlink— Thank you for working to connect folks. You’re launching the greatest leap forward in the inte

Construction is underway for a project that will complete West Point’s fiber network by end of 2020 MURRAY, Utah, January 28, 2020 – UTOPIA Fiber announced an agreement with West Point to execute a Fiber-to-the-Home project that will bring the fastest internet speeds in the nation to the City. The W

The Open Technology Institute of New America on Wednesday released a blog post focusing on Ammon, Idaho, and highlighted how the open access broadband networks there better meets customers’ needs and expectations that most vertically-integrated broadband networks. In comparing broadband prices globa

The largest open-access network in the United States has been a boon to its 11 member cities and is expanding to make broadband accessible even in sparsely populated rural areas. If you mention UTOPIA Fiber to a broadband network operator outside Utah, he or she is likely to say, “We don’t want our

The $48 Million capital investment will fund the continued growth of the UTOPIA Fiber network MURRAY, Utah, November 21, 2019 – The Utah Infrastructure Agency has just completed its latest round of funding that will infuse the UTOPIA/UIA network with $48 million for the expansion of its network. UIA

Exciting things are happening at UTOPIA Fiber. The network, the largest operational open-access network in the United States, is in a period of major growth and expansion. The network has been working to get fiber extended to every home and business within its 11 member cities. Here is a breakdown o

Construction on High-Speed Fiber Network to Be Completed by Spring 2020 MORGAN, Utah, November 5, 2019 — UTOPIA Fiber, Utah’s open-access fiber optic network, will bring the fastest internet speeds in the nation to Morgan City. Morgan is the second city to partner with UTOPIA Fiber within the last y

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho, October 17, 2019 — In a unanimous vote at a special City Council meeting Thursday evening, the Idaho Falls City Council moved to continue the expansion the city’s fiber network to provide high speed broadband access throughout the entire City of Idaho Falls. In September of 2018,

Locally-run internet service providers offer better broadband than their private sector counterparts, according to a recent study by PCMag. The data shows that six of America’s ten fastest ISPs either involve some form of public-private partnership or were run directly by a local community. “Local n

Axios is reporting that Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., plan to introduce The Designing Accounting Safeguards to Help Broaden Oversight and Regulations on Data Act (DASHBOARD). The measure would require tech company to better explain to consumers what they are giving up when they s

SiFi Networks has offered to install and maintain a new fiber optic network in Lowell, Massachusetts—at no cost to the city. This infrastructure would pave the way for new internet service providers to compete with Comcast, which is currently the main internet provider within the city. “Increasing c

Approximately 1.6 million residents of rural Georgia currently lack high-speed internet access, but this could change under a new state broadband plan (PDF) released this month, AJC reported. According to Georgia officials, this will have a major impact on schools, hospitals, farmers, and more. The

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: There is much to cheer for better broadband in Utah, including this report from today’s Daily Herald. The Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency, the U.S.’s largest open access network, is on a roll. It is boasting an accelerated buildout in several Utah commu

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: California, and many other states, have muscled their way onto the national broadband stage. They’ve done this through legislation that would either require net neutrality protections that the Federal Communications Commission removed in December 2017, or use state purch

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Susan Crawford is once again bringing history to life with this blast-from-the-past story of how “net neutrality” owes some of its roots to a 20-year-old fight in Portland. Today, however, the city is bringing open access battles into the 21st Century. (We wrote about La

SiFi Networks’ recent announcement of a more-than $75 million open-access network in Fullerton, Calif., represents a departure from the public-private model that the company had been pursuing in the U.S. over the past four years. SiFi is continuing its focus on an open-access network, or a network i

SiFi Networks on Monday announced that it had obtained funding to build an open access fiber network through the whole city of Fullerton, California. SiFi will fund, build and operate the networks in partnership with Internet Service Providers, which will market services to individual households. A

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: New business models are coming for fiber to the home deployments across the U.S. On Tuesday, Medina County, Ohio, announced just such a model, together with Neighborly, a company that provides communities with access to capital for broadband projects. The fiber networks

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: We reported this news back in August, but it’s worth highlighting again with this new new piece on SiFi Networks’ project in Saratoga Springs, a city of 28,027 in upstate New York. Most notably, the article includes a link to the agreement between SiFi Networks and the c

November 16, 2018 – With the launch of a group of communities in a “broadband accelerator” launched by the municipal finance portal Neighborly, the momentum behind open access broadband networks is continuing to build. On Thursday, Neighborly announced that it had selected 35 cities, including sizab

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: The Utah Telecommunications Open Infrastructure Agency has been outperforming expectations for some time; and never more so than recently. This post from FreeUTOPIA summarizes some of the reasons. In September, the entity signed a deal with Layton to allow the city to ac

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: SiFi Networks appears to be gaining some traction in the U.S., based upon this report from Telecompaper. The company bring a public-private partnership model to a universal broadband build within cities, helping cities to get gigabit symmetrical service — and to have con

PITTSBURGH, August 16, 2018 – Big telecommunications providers are not making it easy for communities to step up and offer robust broadband service, even in low-density areas that the private sector has declined to serve for years, according to experts speaking at a July 23 Next Century Cities confe

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: We’ve been watching the progress of CityFibre closely because of what it is demonstrating on the other side of the pond: The future of broadband is in wholesale. Separating infrastructure from services provides significant advantages in being able to raise capital. This

Network neutrality is an important issue. We mustn’t allow transport owners to limit our ability to communicate. But, network neutrality in itself positions the internet as a telecommunications service. We need to step back and recognize that the internet itself is part of a larger shift wrought by

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Major news from the United Kingdom with the deal announced between Vodafone and CityFibre. This deal shows how the rest of the world is adapting to the model that the United States has not yet, but eventually will: Separation of infrastructure from services. Vodafone thr

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: The power of municipal broadband isn’t going away. While competition benefits everyone, it’s undeniable that as the custodians of their rights of way, local government will play a role in the telecommunications infrastructure developments of the future. Charter gets comp

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: The long-awaited day has arrived for the “official” launch of the open-access fiber-optic network in Ammon, Idaho. This city of about 14,000 people has been making waves for some time with its unique approach to (a) providing advanced open-access technology and (b) enabl

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: A good, basic summary of what an open-access network is, and why cities can benefit through the open-access approach. The best part of this piece is the discussion about why open-access is necessary for Smart Cities. Left unsaid are some of the more innovative approaches

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Here’s my piece in the Deseret News, responding to information about the Utah Telecommunications Open Infrastructure Agency that simply isn’t correct. I discuss why cities need to open up their thinking about using fiber as a utility, and why cities are going to be in th

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Major new expansion by wholesale infrastructure provider CityFibre in U.K., giving more credence to the “open access” model that is beginning to be deployed globally. Under such a model, one entity owns the fiber infrastructure, with another selling retail internet acces

OREM, Utah, July 6, 2017 – The founder of the Broadband Breakfast Club, journalist and lawyer Drew Clark, announced his candidacy for city council here with a campaign seeking to tap into “Better Broadband, Better Lives.” Orem is the fifth-largest city in Utah, home to Utah Valley University, and a

WASHINGTON, June 7, 2017 – Champions, partnerships and flexibility are necessary to bring fiber-optic networks to less-populated communities, said participants involved in launching such a network in Kent County, Maryland. Speaking at a Friday panel was hosted at the Schools Health and Libraries Bro

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: The Huntsville combination of open access and leased fiber is a model to watch! || Google Fiber launches in Huntsville, Alabama by leasing new municipal fiber network, from 9to5 Google: First announced over a year ago, Google Fiber is now live in Huntsville, Alabama. Alp

Open access networks are becoming more real for gigabit connectivity in the United States.

DALLAS, May 1, 2017 – One of the biggest puzzles in broadband today is a financial conundrum: Our nation needs next-generation networks everywhere, but advanced internet capacity is spotty at best. One solution to the problem of financing universal broadband networks — on display in Ammon, Idaho — w

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: This development highlights that Google Fiber isn’t done with fiber builds — just exploring new methods and models with which to carry forward. || Google Fiber officially selects Louisville, KY to run its new gigabit play, from Tech Republic: Google Fiber has confirmed t

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Open access networks, such as those proposed by SiFi Networks, are important because they allow for the next generation applications and services. This story updates how a Rhode Island community is considering the company for its fiber network. Economic Development Commi

DALLAS, April 6, 2017 – The Rural Telecommunications Congress program at the 2017 Broadband Communities Summit here on May 1-4, 2017, will feature panelists on the Universal Service Administrative Corporation’s role in bringing broadband to underserved and unserved communities, the role of broadband

BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: This came out just over a month ago, but is well worth highlighting. Ammon, Idaho, has developed a model that helps to break apart the closed-box model of the vertically-integrated communications providers. This article on Muni Networks well encapsulates some of the ways

Broadband Breakfast Insight: A great article detailing the way that a rural community, even in a sparsely-populated region of Colorado, is able to make an open-access network work for the communities and residents of the region. -> Rio Blanco County Stays Relevant With Broadband, from Broadband Comm

Broadband Breakfast Insight: The Australian National Broadband Network is a massive undertaking: An open access network infrastructure build, with competing retail internet service providers offering service. It’s been controversial, but is beginning to get more established in the country.-> Does th

Broadband Breakfast Insight: The Rio Blanco project in Colorado is one of the most interesting open access networks in the United States. This development is worth watching because of how it show how communities can build their own networks from the ground up.-> Broadband project still on track, but

Fiber-optic technology is the gold standard for home or commercial broadband, and powers wireless connectivity, too.

Mobile communication has become a central part internet connectivity.

The internet has the potential to impact, and also to enhance, society's democratization.

Section 230 is sometimes called the 26 words that created the internet.

Whether licensed, unlicensed or shared, radio frequency spectrum is the critical resource for wireless communication.

Whether broadband providers may prioritize delivery of bits by the entities they own is a divisive topic.

The pandemic has prompted a new era of funding for broadband infrastructure.

Because Rural America is often the least-connected region in the country, ensuring coverage is central to BEAD.

Wireless technologies are critical for mobile communications, and for being able to reach remote locations.

Satellite broadband remains an option those areas beyond the reach of fiber, terrestrial or mobile wireless.

The Universal Service Fund, codified in 1996 with the Telecommunications Act, remains the foundation of universal access.

Cloud computing relies upon robust and high-speed upload and download internet speeds.

Tribal leaders say the federal government has failed to uphold its trust responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of Native American tribes.

The 5G wireless standard promises breakthrough in capacity, speed and dynamic spectrum-sharing capabilities.

Wireless Internet Service Providers play an important role in delivery of fixed wireless broadband.

We need humans to make digital inclusion work.

Technology, particularly broadband access and adoption, plays a vital role in K-12 and secondary education.

The innovations of telehealth and mobile health care has transformed medicine and health care.

Ensuring that emergency communications are enabled with broadband is the next frontier in public safety.

Broadband internet service allows many people to work from almost anywhere.

Digital locks and keys are necessary, but not sufficient, to ensure cybersecurity.

The scourge of robocalls is making America's once-vaunted telephone network less trustworthy.

The BEAD program is implemented by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the U.S. Commerce Department.

The last three years have seen a dramatic increase in the number of communities building publicly-owned, locally controlled infrastructure.

The entire concept of privacy has been transformed by broadband and the internet.

Accurate broadband mapping and data has been central to America's broadband buildout.

Cities of the future rely on high-speed internet access and advanced fiber and wireless connectivity.

The infrastructure necessary for advanced energy also powers the infrastructure necessary for high-speed internet.

Self-driving cars are one of many advances to come for smart cities and communities.

Drones and airborne transportation are one of many advances to come for smart cities and communities.

Antitrust has been re-invigorated by concern over the power of big technology, media and telecom companies.

Artificial intelligence is poised to transform humans' relationship with technology, and each other.

Social media plays a powerful force in the lives of most adults and teenagers.

Debates about the role of free speech have been transformed by broadband internet services.

Semiconductors are the world’s new oil.

WISPA, formerly the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association, represents "Broadband Without Boundaries."

Premium Document Page

UTOPIA, billed as providing light-speed to your door while connecting you with friends, family, entertainment, businesses, healthcare, and education, highlights itself as being part of your home, not owned by any network provider.