There's no reason Greater Columbus should throw millions at broadband Internet |Opinion

Shaun Tucker is the former executive director of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus.

As people increasingly rely on the internet to access tools for remote learning, professional services and telehealth, policymakers across the nation have assessed ways to get unconnected Americans online.

Here in Franklin County however, some leaders in cities like Columbus and Dublin have mistakenly set their focus on constructing duplicative broadband infrastructure, rather than focusing on the true, adoption-related factors driving the digital divide.

Both of these cities are well-covered and have access to multiple networks offering fast speeds. In Columbus, the Federal Communications Commission estimates that 99.98% of the area has access to high-speed internet that is far faster than the definition for broadband speeds, and in Dublin, it is 99.95%.

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Additionally, both cities have competitive internet service provider markets. Dublin has eight broadband providers covering at least 70% of the area, while Columbus has six broadband providers covering at least 80% of the area.

Not only would investing in duplicative broadband infrastructure do nothing to address our digital divide, but the financial component of this decision would also be problematic.

Constructing, maintaining and upgrading a fiber-based network is an incredibly expensive endeavor, and one that many Franklin County cities could not afford given other issues their communities are facing.

In Columbus for example, there is already great uncertainty surrounding how the City will fund public teacher wage increases — a much-needed investment for our community.

It would be puzzling for local officials to move forward with a costly, duplicative government-run network that would only add to tax increases amid historic inflation and complicate an already squeezed budget.

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There is still an urgent need, however, for cities with ubiquitous broadband infrastructure – like Columbus and Dublin – to invest in solutions to close the digital divide by getting more folks online. Those investments should be cost-effective and adoption-focused.

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The Affordable Connectivity Program is perhaps the most pivotal resource to get more unconnected residents the connectivity they need. The program, which is fully funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, provides up to a $30 monthly discount to eligible households.

When coupled with low-income offerings available from many of the nation’s leading providers, the Affordable Connectivity Program discount makes an internet subscription free or close to it.

The Ohio-based think tank Innovation Ohio recently published a report highlighting how Affordable Connectivity Program promotion in Ohio will be more effective, and provide “an easier path for communities to serve the needs of residents than the costly buildout of government-owned networks.”

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With federal-funding for the program already secured, the biggest hurdle will be getting eligible residents (about four in 10 Americans) to realize that the program exists. States and localities that have promoted the program have shown that amplification works. In Massachusetts for example, the state government texted over 1 million likely-eligible residents and saw their enrollment rate double over the next five days.

Cities in Franklin County should follow this lead.

Instead of throwing millions at duplicative broadband infrastructure, they should invest in promotion of the Affordable Connectivity Program — a solution that will actually work to close the digital divide.

Shaun Tucker is the former executive director of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Opinion: Columbus area cities should not invest in costly broadband