Internet access has been crucial during the pandemic, but it’s not ubiquitous, and it can be both slow and unaffordable in swaths of the country. A new startup backed by funding from AOL founder Steve Case and Laurene Powell Jobs wants to break up broadband monopolies across the country.

 

Under the open access model, Underline builds and operates the fiber network while multiple service providers can use it and offer service to customers. –Axios

This is really good news! The “open access model” has previously been promoted by PSA, and was touted for a Las Cruces build-out contract back in 2006-2007 by the Utopia company from Utah. The cost for Las Cruces was estimated at somewhere above $70M, or so, and got little traction with the city officials, despite Gary Gomes and others’ efforts to show how worthwhile such an endeavor would be for small to midsize cities like Las Cruces.

But with Underline, there are deep pockets to “front” the build-out costs, or to own it, if communities don’t “buy in”. From appearances, this should be the crucial component to push affordable access ahead in a timely manner across the US. Some pushback from monopolistic telecoms, who sometimes manage to get restrictive laws passed in state legislatures, would be expected.

Yet it would seem that Underline may well prevail as the benefits and economic multipliers for small to medium-size cities will be huge. Underline, as the article below states, has a list of 2000 locations in hand for their FTH open access network plans.

Kudos to Gary for the link.