Financing National Broadband Amid Budget Deficits: New Business Models Needed
The challenge of financing national broadband is exacerbated by government deficits and a challenging business case for the private sector. With unlikely investments from governments, broadband initiatives must take a lower priority compared to deficit reduction. The ideal solution involves competitive facilities-based providers, yet establishing this is tough. New business models are essential to address declining revenues from traditional services and the significant capital required for fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) infrastructure. Innovative approaches like community fiber partnerships and customer-owned infrastructure should be encouraged.
Financing National Broadband Amid Budget Deficits: New Business Models Needed
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Presentation Transcript
The challenge • How to finance national broadband when the government, at all levels, has huge deficits and private sector business case is extremely tough • Unlikely governments are going to invest billions into broadband • National broadband must take a lower priority to paying down the deficit • Competitive broadband with multiple facilities based providers is the ideal solution • But private sector business case for multiple facilities based competitors for residential broadband is extremely tough (if not impossible) • A new business model is needed, especially one that deals with issues such as: • Triple play revenues are trending towards zero for traditional services such as voice, TV and Internet • Fiber to the homes requires significant capital investment • Allows for multiple competitive facilities based providers
Need new broadband business models • Current FTTh business plans are predicated on triple play with following minimums • 40% takeup • $130 per month revenue per customer • Even Verizon FiOS only intends to service about 40% of customers in service area • FCC should undertake program to encourage new business models for broadband e.g. • Google “Home with tails” (customer owns the last mile) • CANARIE “Green Broadband” (cost of fiber bundled with energy bill) • Voluntary structural separation – KPN and Reggenfiber • Condominium business fiber partnerships – Swisscom and local energy companies • Encourage and promote what America is best in the world • Ingenuity and entrpreneurism
Thank you • For more details please see • http://free-fiber-to-the-home.blogspot.com/ • http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/