Participants in an AT&T Policy Forum on Tuesday made a compelling case that "carrier of last resort" regulations – specifically, the costly obligation to maintain little-used legacy copper lines – divert resources away from broadband network construction.
Titled "Network Modernization: Connecting Changes Everything," the forum featured a fireside chat between Jonathan Spalter, USTelecom's President & CEO, and Chris Sambar, AT&T's Head of Network, Executive Vice President, Technology Operations.
Relatedly, on May 20, 2024, USTelecom published "Network Modernization: A Vital Step Toward Universal High-Speed Broadband," an Issue Brief highlighting the fact that "less than two percent of U.S. households today rely solely on landline connections."
Certainly in low-population-density areas where reliable wireless service is available, the rote enforcement of legacy rules requiring costly copper upkeep today does not serve the needs of residents.
More broadly, Congress, the FCC, and state regulatory bodies should update expeditiously their policies to redirect finite financial resources to their highest and best use: the construction of broadband infrastructure that brings twenty-first century connectivity – including enhanced emergency services – to rural communities.
As USTelecom concluded in its Issue Brief:
Consumer demand is driving the transition to universal broadband. But outdated regulations are pulling us back – siphoning off time and resources away from the goal of universal broadband to maintain old copper networks rather than speeding reliable, high-speed internet to everyone. We need a modern regulatory environment that advances rather than undercuts tech modernization. Achieving the shared goal of universal broadband requires a shared determination to look to the future, not remain stuck in the past.
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