Sparring Partners | The best way to bring broadband to rural USA

We all need broadband connectivity, but many in rural areas still lack fast or affordable connectivity. It is expensive to build the infrastructure and offer services in sparsely populated areas, and in many cases, government or other public funding is necessary to support service.

In this Sparring Partners, I talked with Claude Aiken, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Legal Officer at Nextlink, and previously President at WISPA and Advisor at the FCC, about how the recent federal funding for broadband connectivity in the US will extend broadband availability in the US.

• Are there enough funds available to bridge the rural digital divide?
• How helpful and accurate are the new FCC maps?
• What should be the balance between wireless and fiber?
• What are the challenges and strengths of both technologies?
• Is wireless only a short-term solution as we wait for fiber?
• Can satellite fill in the gaps?
• What is the role of CBRS and 5G in providing rural fixed wireless access?
• Can FWA service providers offer IoT services?