Promoting Universal Broadband through Middle Mile Institutions: A Legislative Agenda

Abstract

Can broadband save declining communities? The National Broadband Plan pays more attention than any previous policy to this question. Professor Jayakar focuses on community-based public and non-profit institutions which serve as anchor institutions or demand aggregators, and which provide job training, digital literacy instruction, continuing education, and entrepreneurship classes. He conducts an analysis based on extensive usage and penetration data and determines which situations are most likely to produce the greatest return on investment. He then recommends specific legislative and regulatory enablers.