Rural Broadband Connectivity: Strategies from Santa Cruz County - ETI
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October 10, 2024

Rural Broadband Connectivity: Strategies from Santa Cruz County

The following summary has been condensed for length and readability. To listen to the full discussion, click here. This episode is sponsored by ETI Software and VETRO FiberMap.

In a recent episode of The Broadband Bunch podcast, host Brad Hine sat down with Zach Friend, Santa Cruz County Supervisor, at Mountain Connect 2024 to discuss the unique challenges of expanding broadband in Santa Cruz. The discussion touched on a range of issues including geographical barriers, regulatory changes, and innovative solutions aimed at improving broadband connectivity in a region where access remains limited for many residents. This conversation sheds light on the complexities of bringing high-speed internet to underserved areas and highlights the critical role local governments play in driving progress.

Understanding the Broadband Landscape in Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz County, located along California’s central coast, is a region known for its stunning natural beauty, but also for the challenges it faces in expanding infrastructure. As Zach Friend explains, the county’s mountainous terrain, dense forests, and sprawling rural areas make broadband deployment far more difficult than in urban or suburban settings.

For years, these geographic challenges have contributed to a significant digital divide, with many residents in rural parts of the county still lacking access to reliable high-speed internet. This is particularly problematic in today’s world, where broadband connectivity is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for work, education, healthcare, and staying connected with family and friends.

“The geography of Santa Cruz is both a blessing and a curse,” Friend notes. “It’s one of the most beautiful places to live, but the same features that make it beautiful—mountains, forests, valleys—are the same things that make it incredibly difficult to get broadband infrastructure in place.”

The county’s unique topography requires innovative solutions and close collaboration between government, private industry, and local communities to tackle these connectivity issues.

Regulatory Hurdles and Evolving Mandates

Adding to the complexity of broadband deployment in Santa Cruz are the evolving regulatory requirements at both the state and federal levels. Zach Friend highlights how recent changes to FCC regulations, particularly around broadband labeling and transparency, have added new layers of compliance for internet service providers (ISPs). These regulations require detailed reporting and labeling to ensure consumers understand the services they’re purchasing, but they also create challenges for ISPs and local governments who are working to balance regulatory compliance with the need to deploy infrastructure quickly.

“We’re in a period where the regulatory landscape is changing rapidly,” Friend says. “These changes are important for transparency and consumer protection, but they also require a lot of coordination between different levels of government and the private sector to implement effectively.”

For local governments like Santa Cruz County, navigating these regulations requires close partnerships with ISPs to ensure compliance while also pushing forward with projects aimed at expanding broadband access. Friend emphasizes that the county is working to stay ahead of regulatory changes, ensuring that local ISPs have the support they need to comply with new rules without delaying critical infrastructure projects.

The Role of Local Government in Expanding Broadband Access

One of the key themes of the conversation is the crucial role that local governments play in broadband expansion, especially in rural and underserved areas. Zach Friend explains that while much of the broadband infrastructure is deployed by private companies, local governments are often responsible for coordinating these efforts, facilitating access to public lands, and securing funding from state and federal programs designed to support broadband expansion.

In Santa Cruz, the county government has taken a proactive approach to broadband, working closely with ISPs to identify areas of greatest need and prioritize infrastructure projects. This involves conducting detailed mapping to determine where service gaps exist and collaborating with community organizations to ensure that residents’ voices are heard throughout the process.

“As a local government, we have a responsibility to make sure that broadband access is seen as a fundamental utility,” Friend explains. “That means not only advocating for state and federal funding but also working with ISPs to remove barriers to deployment, whether that’s granting access to public lands or streamlining the permitting process.”

By playing this coordinating role, local governments like Santa Cruz County can help bridge the gap between private industry and public need, ensuring that broadband infrastructure reaches even the most remote corners of the community.

Innovative Solutions for Rural Broadband Deployment

Given the geographic and regulatory challenges facing Santa Cruz, innovative solutions are needed to expand broadband access in the county. Zach Friend shares several of the strategies the county is exploring to overcome these barriers and deliver high-speed internet to rural areas.

One approach involves leveraging existing infrastructure, such as utility poles and towers, to minimize the need for costly new construction. By using existing poles to run fiber-optic cables or install wireless transmitters, the county can reduce both the time and cost associated with broadband deployment.

“We’re looking at how we can use existing infrastructure more efficiently,” Friend says. “In many cases, the utility poles are already in place, so it’s a matter of working with utility companies and ISPs to figure out how we can run fiber or set up wireless systems that can deliver high-speed internet to homes and businesses.”

In addition to using existing infrastructure, the county is also exploring fixed wireless solutions as a way to reach areas where fiber deployment may not be feasible. Fixed wireless technology allows internet service to be delivered wirelessly from a central transmitter to homes and businesses, bypassing the need for physical cables. This can be particularly useful in mountainous areas where running fiber would be prohibitively expensive or difficult.

The Importance of Public-Private Partnerships

Throughout the conversation, Zach Friend emphasizes the importance of public-private partnerships in expanding broadband access. He explains that while local governments have a critical role to play in coordinating broadband efforts, the private sector must also be heavily involved in deploying and maintaining the infrastructure.

In Santa Cruz, the county has worked closely with ISPs to create these partnerships, ensuring that both parties are aligned in their goals and can work together to overcome obstacles. This collaboration is essential not only for deploying the infrastructure but also for securing the funding necessary to make broadband expansion possible.

Friend points to several successful public-private partnerships that have already helped bring broadband to underserved parts of the county. By leveraging state and federal grants, as well as private investment, the county has been able to push forward with broadband projects that might otherwise have stalled due to funding limitations.

“We’re all in this together,” Friend says. “The county can’t do it alone, and neither can the ISPs. It really takes a collaborative effort to get broadband to the areas that need it most.”

Future Challenges and Opportunities

As the conversation concludes, Zach Friend reflects on the future of broadband in Santa Cruz and the ongoing challenges that lie ahead. While the county has made significant progress in expanding access, there is still much work to be done, particularly in the most remote parts of the region.

Looking ahead, Friend sees continued innovation and collaboration as the key to overcoming these challenges. He believes that new technologies, such as low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and advanced wireless systems, may offer new opportunities for reaching areas where traditional broadband methods have failed.

“We have to keep pushing the envelope and looking for new ways to deliver broadband,” Friend concludes. “The technology is constantly evolving, and so are the solutions. But with the right partnerships and a focus on the communities that need it most, I’m confident we can make real progress.”

Conclusion

Zach Friend’s insights on the Broadband Bunch podcast provide a valuable perspective on the challenges and opportunities associated with expanding broadband access in regions like Santa Cruz. From navigating complex regulatory requirements to leveraging innovative technologies and fostering public-private partnerships, Santa Cruz County is making strides toward closing the digital divide. As broadband continues to evolve as a fundamental utility, conversations like this are crucial for understanding how local governments and communities can work together to ensure that everyone has access to the high-speed internet they need.

About the Author

Brad Hine - Director, Partner/Channel Development

With over 16 years in the telecom software industry, Brad Hine specializes in product management, sales and channel development.  He is currently the Director of Partner Development at ETI Software Solutions, out of Atlanta, GA.  Brad’s demonstrated experience is in BSS/OSS solutions, geospatial strategy for telecoms and combining them to create operational efficiency through real-time, data-driven dashboards.  He has been a frequent conference speaker for the Fiber Broadband Association and Broadband Communities Summit and is a host of The Broadband Bunch, a podcast about broadband and how it impacts our communities. He is an alumnus of the University of Georgia.