Here & Now

Statewide Expansion Of Broadband May Require More Funding

WISCONSIN POLICYMAKERS RECOGNIZE THE NEED TO PLUMP THE STATE’S BROADBAND SERVICES, ESPECIALLY IN RURAL AREAS. BROADBAND IS HIGH-SPEED INTERNET, THE KIND THAT IS FAST ENOUGH TO STREAM VIDEO. BUT IS THE STATE PUTTING ENOUGH MONEY TOWARD EXPANDING THE SERVICE BECAUSE IT’S ALSO RECOGNIZED THAT ROBUST BROADBAND IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS AND EDUCATION. THE 2015-2017 STATE BUDGET INCREASED BROADBAND GRANTS FROM $500,000 TO $1.5 MILLION AND ALLOCATED $6 MILLION TO IT OVER FOUR YEARS. ACCORDING TO THE WISCONSIN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, 83% OF WISCONSINITES HAVE 25-MEGABIT-PER-SECOND BROADBAND, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STANDARD. BUT WHO’S BEING LEFT OUT. OUR GUEST ON THIS TOPIC IS AN EXPERT IN THIS AREA, UW-MADISON PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS, BARRY ORTON. THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

BARRY ORTON:

THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO THE PSC SAYS THE STATE AWARDED $2.5 MILLION IN BROADBAND GRANTS IN 2014, NOT COUNTING MATCHING FUNDS, HOOKING UP 5,000 HOMES AND BUSINESSES. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT KIND OF EXPENDITURE?

BARRY ORTON:

I THINK IT’S A DROP IN THE BUCKET. I THINK THAT THE NEED IS SO GREAT AT THIS POINT STATEWIDE TO BRIDGE THAT RURAL-URBAN GAP THAT CONSIDERABLY MORE MONEY IS NEEDED ON A REGULAR BASIS. THE STATE TURNED DOWN $23 MILLION IN FEDERAL MONEY TO DO THIS BACK IN 2011. AT THE RATE THEY ARE NOW SPENDING STATE MONEY, IT WILL TAKE US ANOTHER 13 YEARS TO GET US TO THAT POINT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

THERE’S A MAP THAT THE WISCONSIN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION HAS PUT OUT. IT’S ON THEIR WEBSITE. IT SHOWS BROADBAND SERVICE, THE DARK RED REPRESENTING GREATER THAN 25 MEGABITS PER SECOND. THAT IS THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATION COMMISSION STANDARD FOR HIGH-SPEED INTERNET. AND THAT IS OBVIOUSLY IN KIND OF THE URBAN AREAS AND UP IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF THE STATE. BUT IT ALSO SHOWS MANY AREAS MARKED IN LIGHTER ORANGE, THE THREE TO TEN MEGABITS RANGE. WHAT KIND OF SERVICE IS THREE TO TEN?

BARRY ORTON:

THREE TO TEN IS MARGINAL. YOU COULD PROBABLY WATCH AN NETFLIX MOVIE AS LONG AS NOBODY ELSE IN THE HOUSE IS DOING SOMETHING ELSE AT THE SAME TIME.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

THAT MAP ALSO SHOWED A BUNCH OF AREAS THAT WERE JUST GRAY, NOTHING?

BARRY ORTON:

RIGHT. WHICH MEANS NO SERVICE OR HARDLY ANY SERVICE. THE PROBLEM WITH THE MAP IS THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE SELF-REPORTED BY THE CARRIERS AND THE WAY THEY REPORT MEANS THAT IF THEY HAVE ONE OR TWO CUSTOMERS IN A RURAL TOWNSHIP, THE WHOLE TOWNSHIP IS LISTED AS COVERED. SO THE MAP IS REALLY NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT’S REALLY OUT THERE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO WHAT IS REALLY OUT THERE?

BARRY ORTON:

IT’S HARD TO KNOW BECAUSE AT THE MOMENT THE ONLY WAY WE KNOW IS WHAT THE CARRIERS TELL US. AND SO I TAKE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT THE CARRIERS REPORT TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION THEN REPORTS TO THE PUBLIC WITH A HUGE GRAIN OF SALT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

BECAUSE YOU EVEN TAKE ISSUE WITH THE PSC SAYING THAT 83% OF WISCONSINITES HAVE THIS 25 MEGABITS PER SECOND BROADBAND.

BARRY ORTON:

CORRECT. I THINK THAT’S WAY HIGH TO WHAT’S REALITY. MANY PEOPLE DON’T HAVE IT AT ALL. SO IT’S REALLY AVAILABLE TO. BUT THE AVAILABLE TO, AS I SAID, WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO SOME NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS WITHIN A COMMUNITY, BUT NOT ALL.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

HOW MUCH WOULD IT TAKE TO GET FULL COVERAGE, THE LIKES OF WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE?

BARRY ORTON:

I DON’T KNOW BECAUSE WE DON’T REALLY KNOW HOW MUCH COVERAGE THERE REALLY IS NOW. AGAIN, IT’S DEPENDENT ENTIRELY ON WHAT AT&T AND WHAT TDS AND WHAT THE OTHER CARRIERS TELL US AND THEY ARE VERY PROPRIETARY ABOUT WHAT THEIR REAL INFORMATION IS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO HOW DO WE COMPARE TO OTHER STATES IN TERMS OF OUR BROADBAND COVERAGE?

BARRY ORTON:

WE’RE PROBABLY SIMILAR. SOME STATES ARE WORSE BECAUSE THEY ARE MORE RURAL. SOME STATES ARE BETTER BECAUSE THEY’RE MORE URBAN. HOW WE COMPARE TO OTHER COUNTRIES IS WE’RE WAY BEHIND.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT ABOUT COMPARISONS IN EXPENDITURES IN TERMS OF TRYING TO MAKE INROADS INTO EXPANSION?

BARRY ORTON:

WELL, THAT’S TRICKY TOO BECAUSE THE EXPENDITURES IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN GO STRAIGHT TO THE CARRIERS, WHO ESSENTIALLY USE IT AS CAPITAL EXPENSE, UNLIKE OTHER STATES, WHERE THE MONEY MIGHT GO TO NONPROFITS, THEY MIGHT GO TO MUNICIPALITIES, THEY MIGHT GO TO OTHER GROUPS THAT ARE PROVIDING BROADBAND ON A NONCOMMERCIAL BASIS. ALL THIS MONEY GOES DIRECTLY TO THE CARRIERS, AND IT GOES RIGHT INTO THEIR CAPITAL EXPENSE BUDGET. SO WE REALLY DON’T KNOW WHAT IT DOES AS MARGINAL EXPENDITURES OVER WHAT THE CARRIERS WOULD DO OTHERWISE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHY IS BROADBAND SUCH A BIG DEAL?

BARRY ORTON:

BROADBAND HAS BECOME LIKE ELECTRICITY OR LIKE TELEPHONE WAS IN THE 1930s. IT HAS BECOME ESSENTIALLY ALMOST A NECESSITY FOR MODERN LIFE. IT’S TREATED BY THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION NOW AS A PUBLIC UTILITY. IT IS NOT A LUXURY LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, CABLE TELEVISION MIGHT BE. IT IS REALLY TO OPERATE IN THIS MODERN ERA, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF BROADBAND. OTHERWISE GOOD LUCK FILLING OUT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY FORM. YOU MIGHT HAVE TO DRIVE TO THE SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

ALL RIGHT. WE LEAVE IT THERE. BARRY ORTON, THANKS.

BARRY ORTON:

THANK YOU.