Cost of Broadband

Jim Baller moderated an open mic in the session Impact of Broadband Cost on Sustainable Adoption. Here are some of the comments we heard:

• Having a local service provider greases the skids of adoption. (Josh Breitbart)
• Neighbors splitting the cost of a connection. Is that ok? (Bart Gonzalez)
• In rural areas we lack competition and providers are not interested in negotiating. (Sue Shipitalo)
• If program participant has poor credit, cannot get a broadband account. (Cindy Menz-Erb)
• We are not defining cost as the same. Some costs exist from regulatory or government reasons. Other costs are due o the provider. (Chuck McClure)
• Multi-dwelling unit exclusivity agreements restrict broadband choices of residents of housing complexes.

Jim Baller suggested we not call the lack of affordable broadband a cost problem but rather a "cost opportunity". Jim is the expert and I understand figuring out solutions get us further than complaints but I also see a huge value in clearly defining a problem. The fact that broadband is not affordable to all is a problem. It is only an opportunity to those who have solutions. For those of us trying to solve the broadband adoption issue struggling to find solutions, it is a problem.