Broadband Expansion Research Articles

Wireless Innovation for Last Mile Access: An Analysis of Cases and Business Strategies

This working paper explores wireless broadband as an alternative means for broadband expansion through a case-based analysis of business strategies. Although wireless cannot provide the capacity available from advanced fiber networks, it has many other advantages. First, and perhaps foremost, wireless alternatives may be the only economically feasible means of broadband expansion to certain parts of the country. Although they cannot provide capacity that is measurable in terabits per second, as fiber networks can, wireless technologies — depending on the frequencies used and other factors — can suffice for many modern applications: information acquisition for job search, health, and other needs; distance learning; and even video streaming. Second, wireless broadband can permit mobility, something that wireline networks are not designed to provide. Third, the performance of last mile wireless links is partly dependent on the backhaul capacity to which it is connected. So, as fiber extends closer to end users, it enhances the speed and reliability of the wireless connections it supports. Finally, wireless networks can be deployed more rapidly than wireline networks, so that even if there are plans for higher capacity, wireline deployment in the future, wireless can meet more urgent needs. In this report we examine a dozen cases that provide real world evidence and strategic insight related to both the advantages and challenges involved in deploying wireless in scenarios spanning a range of densities and topographies, spectrum, applications and the institutions and stakeholders involved in and impacted by the network deployments.

Wireless Innovation for Last Mile Access: A Regulatory Analysis

This working paper explores alternative means for broadband expansion: wireless broadband. Although at present, wireless broadband cannot provide anywhere close to the type of capacity available from advanced fiber networks, it has many other advantages. First, and perhaps foremost, wireless alternatives may be the only economically feasible means of broadband expansion to certain parts of the country. Although they cannot provide capacity that is measurable in terabits, as fiber networks might, wireless technology might nevertheless suffice for many modern applications: information acquisition for job search, health, and other needs; distance learning; and even streaming. Second, wireless broadband can permit mobility, something that wireline networks are not designed to provide. Finally, wireless networks can be deployed more rapidly than wireline networks, so that even if there are plans for higher capacity, wireline deployment in the future, wireless can meet more urgent needs. This report aims to explore the various regulations and technical aspects that characterize different wireless broadband alternatives. The report begins by exploring the historical and policy developments for various spectrum bands that are being actively used or could see near term deployment for the provision of wireless broadband. In addition, for several of these bands, we examine the existing rules governing these bands in the Code of Federal Regulations. In addition to looking at Federal spectrum related regulations, we also consider rules related to wireless infrastructure deployment at both the Federal and State levels. Finally, we synthesize our findings by comparing the costs and benefits associated with different spectrum bands.

Internet and Voting in the Web 2.0 Era: Evidence from a Local Broadband Policy

This article analyzes the impact of a local broadband expansion policy on electoral turnout and party vote share. We exploit a unique policy intervention involving staged broadband infrastructure installation across rural municipalities in the Province of Trento (Italy), thus generating a source of exogenous (spatial and temporal) variation in the provision of advanced broadband technology (ADSL2+). Using a difference-in-differences strategy, we find positive effects of broadband availability on overall electoral turnout at national parliamentary elections. Party vote share analysis shows significant shifts across the ideological spectrum. These shifts, however, are likely transitory rather than persistent. Placebo estimations support a causal interpretation of our results. We provide further evidence that broadband availability is linked to actual adoption in that the broadband policy increased overall Internet and broadband take-up among private households.

Internet and Voting in the Web 2.0 Era: Evidence from a Local Broadband Policy

This article analyzes the impact of a local broadband expansion policy on electoral turnout and party vote share. We exploit a unique policy intervention involving staged broadband infrastructure installation across rural municipalities in the Province of Trento (Italy), thus generating a source of exogenous (spatial and temporal) variation in the provision of advanced broadband technology (ADSL2+). Using a difference-in-differences strategy, we find positive effects of broadband availability on overall electoral turnout at national parliamentary elections. Party vote share analysis shows significant shifts across the ideological spectrum. These shifts, however, are likely transitory rather than persistent. Placebo estimations support a causal interpretation of our results. We provide further evidence that broadband availability is linked to actual adoption in that the broadband policy increased overall Internet and broadband take-up among private households.

Solving the Spectrum Crisis: Intelligent, Reconfigurable Microwave Transmitter Amplifiers for Cognitive Radar

In 2009, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair, Julius Genachowski, warned of a looming spectrum crisis [1]. Issues such as a 2010 saga involving satellite communications interfering with the global positioning system (GPS)have reminded us that spectrum is becoming an ever-precious commodity. With wireless broadband technologies evolving at a rate that will outgrow the available spectrum, the U.S. government has acted to try to stop the bleeding. President Barack Obama's National Broadband Plan of 2010 [2] mandates that 500-MHz of spectrum be reallocated for wireless broadband applications. However, the continued surge in wireless spectrum users shows that even this spectrum will be used quickly and that a new paradigm is needed. Many have suggested that dynamic spectrum access (DSA), where spectrum is assigned in real time, will be the sharing protocol of the future, and that future spectrum users will be required to be frequency-flexible and cognitive. Radar systems are spectrum users that, in their present form, will have difficulty operating in this future environment because of their fixed operating frequencies, high power, and tendency to leak power into neighboring bands and interfere with other users. In 2011, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Chief of Staff Thomas Power stated, community and policy makers must begin to understand the challenges and constraints that currently exist for [3]. The last three years have witnessed an upshot of radar spectrum conferences and meetings, many organized by the NTIA and the Department of Defense's (DoD's) Joint Spectrum Center. Our interest has been stimulated through encountering this issue in military radars, and in participating as speakers and panelist in many of these meetings, including a 2011 NTIA meeting for radar and communications experts to converse about coexistence challenges. However, the DoD, the FCC, and the NTIA still have not developed any technically sound solutions to achieve spectrum sharing between radar and communications. Wireless broadband expansion is not going away. The cry to radar operators is clear: radar systems must change how they operate.

Vive Digital: Colombia's Own Approach to Transforming Its Broadband Ecosystem

Many countries have embarked on expansion of their broadband infrastructure following international trends and claims that positively correlate growth in gross national product with growth in the number of broadband accesses. Colombia has adopted an idiosyncratic approach to reduce disparity in broadband access to avoid repeating the existing inequalities in the fixed-line market between large urban centers and small, remote areas. This paper analyses the rationale for Colombia’s “Vive Digital”, the government plan for broadband expansion and other ICT-related initiatives. In particular, it examines the development of the public–private partnership that currently expands the country’s broadband capacity through the build-up of a fiber-based backbone, the proposed modifications to spectrum designation, the future 4G auction process, and the goals of the plan to improve the provision of electronically mediated services. Finally, we question the potential of the mechanisms employed to solidify the so-called “broadband ecosystem”. Conclusions put in perspective the dual role of the government in incentivizing the supply side of the broadband market and in subsidizing its demand side.

Patterns of Broadband Efficiency in the U.S

AbstractData envelopment analysis is used to assess the efficiency of broadband Internet adoption and use in the U.S. Analyses at the state level from 2005 to 2007 suggest that broadband adoption and use is not equally efficient across the U.S. states. Although the instantaneous efficiencies are relatively high for many states, the changes in total factor productivity suggest that the efficiency of broadband adoption and use still increases over time. Moreover, it is observed that efficiency values are often spatially autocorrelated, which suggests spatial dependency from spillovers or interstate competition. This leads to a particular spatial diffusion pattern in broadband adoption. Although states have different strategies in support of broadband expansion they need to identify their shortcomings and use the appropriate mix of inputs (and outputs) to improve their efficiencies.

Patterns of Broadband Efficiency in the U.S.

Data envelopment analysis is used to assess the efficiency of broadband Internet adoption and use in the U.S. Analyses at the state level from 2005 through 2007 suggest that broadband adoption and use is not equally efficient across the U.S. states. Although the instantaneous efficiencies are relatively high for many states, the changes in total factor productivity suggest that the efficiency of broadband adoption and use still increases over time. Moreover, it is observed that efficiency values are often spatially autocorrelated, which suggests spatial dependency from spillovers or interstate competition. This leads to a particular spatial diffusion pattern in broadband adoption. Although states have different strategies in support of broadband expansion they need to identify their shortcomings and use the appropriate mix of inputs (and outputs) to improve their efficiencies.

Critical factors for the expansion of broadband in developing countries: The case of Peru

Many studies have been made on the diffusion and development of broadband, however there are few published studies on the critical factors for advancing broadband services in developing countries. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to understand and identify the critical success factors for the development of broadband services in a developing country context, using the case of Peru. In this regard, this study uses data collected from interviews with Peruvian telecommunications professionals, policy makers and regional telecommunication experts, which is supplemented by official reports and statistical data to determine the critical success factors for broadband in this country. The four factors derived are; (i) expand the availability of infrastructure, (ii) define a national broadband policy that aligns the interests of stakeholders, (iii) develop effective competition in the broadband market, and (iv) stimulate the demand for broadband services. Through a MACTOR analysis the authors found that the objectives of sharing infrastructure, the further deployment of infrastructure and the development of competition in the market for broadband services are those that generate the most divergence between actors. Additionally, the MACTOR analysis determined that no disagreement existed for the objectives related to demand stimulation. Thus, four proposals are offered for the development of Peruvian broadband. The results are relevant for academics and policy makers interested broadband development in developing countries and for rural areas of developed countries.

Demanding Broadband: Local Policy and the National Broadband Map

Among the provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was $350 million devoted to the National Broadband Map and Plan. Although it seems prima facie obvious that a coherent policy to fill the gaps in access to high speed Internet would require a thorough analysis of where and how service is provided, the map has been enormously controversial, first for its imposition of minimal disclosure of heretofore closely-guarded secrets of private sector providers, then for its manifold shortcomings as a tool for policy and planning. These issues notwithstanding, the National Broadband Map does not at all venture into the arena of broadband adoption, which is itself of paramount importance for the more densely settle portions of the nation. This paper assesses the status of our present spatial understanding of broadband. It provides an assessment of the weaknesses and strengths of the National Broadband Map, highlighting its potential to inform local and regional decision-making. Beyond this, it questions the fundamental lacuna in national policy: a coherent analysis of who is adopting, where, and how. To do so, this paper examines the government's national spatial broadband adoption data collection and public dissemination effort. While the Federal Communications Commission conducts an extensive tract-level census of broadband providers via the FCC's form 477 every 6 months, very little of this data is ever made public. The authors then compare this with several alternative efforts at assessing local adoption, focusing primarily on demand-side studies in major U.S. cities (e.g., Philadelphia and the District of Columbia). The authors argue that, the present state of broadband expansion has a dual character: on one hand, the National Broadband Map addresses the problem of supply, which is still acutely felt in rural America. On the other hand, in most urban areas, persistent concentrations of poverty threaten to create a potentially larger policy concern: large portions of the populations for whom adoption is either irrelevant or out of reach, which threatens to entrench a technological underclass. Understanding the dimensions of this policy challenge requires a more refined assessment of the dimensions and patterns of adoption, an issue largely ignored by the National Broadband Map.

Cyber Security Awareness as Critical Driver to National Security

In South Africa, cybersecurity has been identified as a critical component contributing to National Security. More rural communities are becoming integrated into the global village due to increased hardware and software corporate donations, the proliferation of mobile Internet devices and government programmes aimed at bridging the digital divide through major broadband expansion projects. The authors’ research shows that many of the new Internet users are not aptly trained to protect themselves against online threats, leaving them vulnerable to online exploits and inherently exposing the national system to potential international cyber attacks. This article works toward the identification of any correlation between the economic development and mobile use propensity of Internet users with regard to National Security. Internet penetration statistics are used in correlation with the economic development and exposure to technological advances of South Africans to classify participants in the surveys used into three groups: urban netizens, semi-rural netizens and rural netizens. South African citizens from areas within the Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces participated in this study. Separate from these criteria, the availability of and access to the Internet via mobile phones is also taken into consideration. The article uses the results from the surveys to identify direct and indirect links between the factors in question.

Broadband and local growth

I find a positive relationship between broadband expansion and local economic growth. This relationship is stronger in industries that rely more on information technology and in areas with lower population densities. Instrumenting for broadband expansion with slope of terrain leans in the direction of a causal relationship, though not definitively. The economic benefits of broadband expansion for local residents appear to be limited. Broadband expansion is associated with population growth as well as employment growth, and both the average wage and the employment rate—the share of working-age adults that is employed—are unaffected by broadband expansion. Furthermore, expanding broadband availability does not change the prevalence of telecommuting or other home-based work. Like other place-based policies, expanding broadband availability could raise property values and the local tax base, but without more direct benefits for residents in the form of higher wages or improved access to jobs. The analysis relies on the uneven diffusion of broadband throughout the United States, allowing comparisons between areas with greater and less growth in broadband availability. I combine broadband data from the Federal Communications Commission, employment data from the National Establishment Time-Series database, and other economic data from the US Census and BLS to examine broadband availability and economic activity in the US between 1999 and 2006.

Trends in Wireless Access Technologies toward Expansion of Broadband and Ubiquitous Services

Trends in Wireless Access Technologies toward Expansion of Broadband and Ubiquitous Services

Universal Broadband: Opportunities and Challenges in Western Massachusetts – Executive Summary

There has been much attention recently on the need to make broadband Internet available to every household in America. Broadband is now seen as critical for economic growth, job creation, global competitiveness, and enhanced quality of life. Broadband technology is changing how we educate our youth, deliver health care services, manage our energy needs, ensure public safety, engage government, and how we access, organize and disseminate knowledge. Yet the United States is behind many advanced countries in the adoption and quality of broadband. Today, only about two-thirds of Americans have broadband service in their homes. Even fewer Americans living in rural areas have adopted broadband simply because it is unavailable where they live. This problem is particularly severe in western Massachusetts. Currently there are 32 towns in the Commonwealth that are completely unserved and another 91 towns where broadband is available to less than 10% of the households. To facilitate deployment of new broadband infrastructure and expansion of existing services in unserved and underserved communities, Governor Deval Patrick signed legislation creating the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) and providing funding for the construction of fiber, wireless towers and other critical and durable broadband infrastructure. In 2010, the MBI began building a $71 million, 1,100 mile open-access fiber-optic network – the middle mile – to begin bridging the digital divide in western Massachusetts communities. What is still needed, however, is the development of a sustainable business model for a telecommunications carrier to build the “last mile” and also provide affordable service to its customers. To help further bridge the digital divide in Massachusetts, a team of researchers from Bentley University’s Service-Learning Center and University Honors Program offered to assist MBI in learning more about cost effective ways to deploy broadband in unserved and underserved areas and increase adoption rates in areas of low population density to make such areas more attractive to service providers. Although our report covers broadband policy and practices at a broad level, we focus on increasing access to broadband and adoption rates in rural areas and how it might apply to western Massachusetts. Research Questions1. What are advantages and disadvantages of alternative broadband technologies in overcoming the technological challenges for encouraging broadband deployment to unserved and underserved areas of western Massachusetts? 2. What are some the most effective programs and practices to increase broadband adoption in western Massachusetts?3. What policy changes and initiatives at the state and federal level would be most helpful in supporting broadband access and broadband adoption goals? Bringing the last-mile to western Massachusetts is no simple task. In the full report, we show in more detail the challenges faced by MBI with regard to the issue of access and what technology will best suit the Commonwealth’s needs, the factors that hinder adoption and how to overcome them, and what policies would best support MBI’s objectives.A copy of the full report with findings and recommendations and other supplementary materials will be available for download from Bentley University’s Web site. In the meantime, a copy of the report can be obtained by contacting the study’s faculty advisor, Professor Jeff Gulati at jgulati@bentley.edu or 781-891-3177.

Universal Broadband: Opportunities and Challenges in Western Massachusetts

There has been much attention recently on the need to make broadband Internet available to every household in America. Broadband is now seen as critical for economic growth, job creation, global competitiveness, and enhanced quality of life. Broadband technology is changing how we educate our youth, deliver health care services, manage our energy needs, ensure public safety, engage government, and how we access, organize and disseminate knowledge. Yet the United States is behind many advanced countries in the adoption and quality of broadband. Today, only about two-thirds of Americans have broadband service in their homes. Even fewer Americans living in rural areas have adopted broadband simply because it is unavailable where they live. This problem is particularly severe in western Massachusetts. Currently there are 32 towns in the Commonwealth that are completely unserved and another 91 towns where broadband is available to less than 10% of the households. To facilitate deployment of new broadband infrastructure and expansion of existing services in unserved and underserved communities, Governor Deval Patrick signed legislation creating the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) and providing funding for the construction of fiber, wireless towers and other critical and durable broadband infrastructure. In 2010, the MBI began building a $71 million, 1,100 mile open-access fiber-optic network - the middle mile - to begin bridging the digital divide in western Massachusetts communities. What is still needed, however, is the development of a sustainable business model for a telecommunications carrier to build the “last mile” and also provide affordable service to its customers. To help further bridge the digital divide in Massachusetts, a team of researchers from Bentley University’s Service-Learning Center and University Honors Program offered to assist MBI in learning more about cost effective ways to deploy broadband in unserved and underserved areas and increase adoption rates in areas of low population density to make such areas more attractive to service providers. Although our report covers broadband policy and practices at a broad level, we focus on increasing access to broadband and adoption rates in rural areas and how it might apply to western Massachusetts. Research Questions:1. What are advantages and disadvantages of alternative broadband technologies in overcoming the technological challenges for encouraging broadband deployment to unserved and underserved areas of western Massachusetts? 2. What are some the most effective programs and practices to increase broadband adoption in western Massachusetts?3. What policy changes and initiatives at the state and federal level would be most helpful in supporting broadband access and broadband adoption goals?

GIS as a planning tool for the USF Co rural telecom and E-service project in Pakistan

“Universal service” is the policy that all Pakistani Nationals, especially those located in rural areas, should have the opportunity to use same affordable telephony and related services as provided to the urban population in a sustainable manner keeping in view the as available resources. The policy rests on the maxim that all Pakistani, both residing in urban and rural areas, should benefit economically and socially from being able to communicate with others locally and globally. The USF Policy is focused on the geographical areas giving special priority to rural, remote, and small towns and urban areas, which are either un-served or under-served. While planning, USF identifies such areas through mapping existing coverage plots of different operators, demographic data, teledensity, and distance to existing facilities and Socio- economic, and development factors using GIS and Remote Sensing Technologies as Tools of Geography. These tools help to facilitate bidders for extension of their services into the remote areas of the country in conjunction with USF Co targets. Total of 26 unserved lots have been identified throughout the country and divided into different phases. USF Company has contracted 9 lots with the different bidders most of these lots are nearing completion, whereas as four lots are lunched for bidding and planning on the rest is underway. Most of the north eastern Punjab, southwestern Sind, and central Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa are heavily served areas, whereas Gilgit-Baltistan (a newly declared province) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir have also been included in the USF targets. Beside, the company is also enhancing the telecommunication infrastructure through expansion of Broadband and Optical Fiber Network throughout the country. Furthermore USF Co is keenly taking up the matters leading to social development through various projects e.g. Project for Disabled persons, Telemedicine, Hepatitis Management Information System etc.

Mobile broadband expansion calls for more spectrum or more base stations: analysis of the value of spectrum and the role of spectrum aggregation

This paper analyses the marginal value of spectrum which includes engineering and strategic value. The analysis of the engineering value shows that operators that are able to obtain more spectrum than their competitors, and pursue network sharing and spectrum aggregation have a competitive advantage as they have the lowest production cost, highest margin and highest capacity when usage takes off. The analysis of the strategic value shows that the level of offered data rates is pivotal for operators’ marketing of mobile broadband services and that network sharing in combination with spectrum aggregation has a positive impact on the strategic value. Altogether, the willingness to pay for spectrum in recent auctions has been lower than the estimated marginal value in this analysis. However, it is likely to increase when a broad range of smart mobile devices and mobile broadband are ubiquitously used as this will put unprecedented pressure on mobile networks increasing the demand for spectrum.

Increasing Spectrum for Broadband: What are the Options?

The growth of wireless broadband is a bright spot in the U.S. economy, but a shortage of flexibly licensed spectrum rights could put a crimp on this expansion. Freeing up spectrum from other uses would allow greater expansion of wireless broadband and would bring substantial gains - likely in the hundreds of billions of dollars - for U.S. consumers, businesses, and the federal treasury. In this paper we suggest three methods of making more spectrum available for market-based allocation, from both public and private sources.

Broadband and Local Growth

I find a positive relationship between broadband expansion and local economic growth. This relationship is stronger in industries that rely more on information technology and in areas with lower population densities. Instrumenting for broadband expansion with slope of terrain leans in the direction of a causal relationship, though not definitively. The economic benefits of broadband expansion for local residents appear to be limited. Broadband expansion is associated with population growth as well as employment growth, and both the average wage and the employment rate – the share of working-age adults that is employed – are unaffected by broadband expansion. Furthermore, expanding broadband availability does not change the prevalence of telecommuting or other home-based work. Like other place-based policies, expanding broadband availability could raise property values and the local tax base, but without more direct benefits for residents in the form of higher wages or improved access to jobs.The analysis relies on the uneven diffusion of broadband throughout the United States, allowing comparisons between areas with greater and less growth in broadband availability. I combine broadband data from the Federal Communications Commission, employment data from the National Establishment Time-Series database, and other economic data from the U.S. Census and BLS to examine broadband availability and economic activity in the U.S. between 1999 and 2006.