Intelligent CIO North America Issue 30 | Page 42

FEATURE : DIGITALIZATION
There are also conservative and aggressive models . The conservative strategy uses existing sites and those you can lease , but no new sites .
Alternatively , the aggressive model builds and lights up new sites along with existing assets . While this approach could roughly double capital outlay , you could get more people on the broadband network and build capacity for the years ahead , laying the groundwork for new revenue sources and more economic investment .
Step four : How will I pay ? categories – worth a combined total of US $ 105 billion in investment – dominating rollouts to underserved communities are federal , including the FCC ’ s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund ( RDOF ).
Applying for these funds often requires each local government to find a broadband provider with which to partner . Many grants require it . Commercial providers participating in these programs usually work with local governments . In many cases , commercial RDOF auction winners may be looking to provide broadband to parts of your area over the course of the next several years .
The good news is , there are more than 100 programs in the United States to help communities roll out broadband . Most are small and targeted , though two
Evaluate your own needs and funding strategy by considering which areas these commercial providers are planning to serve and the quality of their service .
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