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Brian Rathbone

Brian Rathbone. NC Broadband Division. Why is Rural Broadband so hard?. Pulling fiber and cable in rural areas can cost more than $100,000 per mile. Wireline providers generally need 15 or more households per mile in order to make a profit.

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Brian Rathbone

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  1. Brian Rathbone NC Broadband Division

  2. Why is Rural Broadband so hard? • Pulling fiber and cable in rural areas can cost more than $100,000 per mile. • Wireline providers generally need 15 or more households per mile in order to make a profit. • Wireless providers have trouble penetrating foliage and topography. • Big, well-funded, providers have yet to find solutions to fill gaps in rural broadband coverage. • Small providers using unlicensed wireless are generally underfunded and understaffed and have difficulty finding the market along with affordable tower space.

  3. Local Broadband Planning • Citizen sourced broadband demand data is accurate and relevant to leadership and providers. • Taking this data to incumbent and existing providers in the area can lead to additional deployments. • If these providers are unable to make a business case to serve the identified demand, then local planners can work to understand what the barriers are to providing broadband to unserved areas. • Once the barriers are identified, the local community has the opportunity to provide assets or resources that may change the economics and make the business case more attractive to providers. • When communities become aware that they can influence the deployment of broadband in their area, they often find ways to help themselves.

  4. Where is the Broadband?

  5. Contact Information Brian Rathbone Senior Telecommunications Specialist brathbone@nccommerce.com 828-351-9977

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