In an October 2015 blog, I urged Congress
to pass the Broadband Conduit Deployment Act of 2015, which would have reduced
the costs of broadband deployment by requiring most major highway projects to
include the construction of broadband conduit. Unfortunately, the proposal did
not pass, but a discussion draft version of the House bill, the Broadband Conduit
Deployment Act of 2017, has emerged. Congress should implement a “dig once”
policy and subsequently increase access to broadband throughout the United
States.
If introduced and adopted,
the draft legislation would require state governments to evaluate the need for
broadband conduit with respect to covered highway construction projects. If
there is any anticipated need in the next 15 years, the draft legislation would
implement a so-called “dig once” policy. Along highways where conduit is
needed, the Department of Transportation will install “an appropriate number of
broadband conduits” at a size that is “consistent with industry best practices
and is sufficient to accommodate potential demand.” In other words, a dig once
policy means that the construction costs of digging up hard surfaces along
highways to install conduit will be incurred once.
A dig once policy
would streamline broadband deployment by reducing the costs of building
infrastructure. According to a study by the Government Accountability
Office,
dig once policies can save 25% to 33% in construction costs in urban areas and
approximately 16% in rural areas. By lowering construction and deployment costs
for broadband providers, a dig once policy would avail more resources for
innovative services, encourage investment in rural and remote areas, and invite
competitors into the broadband marketplace.
Not only would a
dig once policy help deploy advanced broadband networks in under-served areas
and help close the gap of the digital divide, but it would pave the way for
next-generation 5G networks. Increasing broadband deployment will create
backhaul for the implementation of 5G technology and the emergence of “smart
cities.” As I stated in a January 2017 blog, 5G technology
will create vast consumer benefits with regard to public safety, health care,
and transportation, leading to a projected $275 billion in investment, 3
million jobs, and $500 billion in gross domestic product. A dig once policy
would streamline the creation of these economic benefits by supplying a
backbone for small and rural towns to rely on when employing 5G and smart
technologies.
Dig once is a common-sense
bipartisan policy. By lowering the costs of deployment for broadband providers,
consumers throughout the United States will enjoy more competition, better
service quality, and lower prices.
Congress should
implement a dig once policy as soon as possible.
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