Assessing success rate of municipal broadband projects isn't easy, said supporters and skeptics of local fiber projects in interviews. “I don’t think anyone can write a definitive report,” said Christopher Yoo, author of a University of Pennsylvania report. Consider financial data alongside anecdotal evidence, he recommended. Penn found about half of existing projects show negative cash flow, and 90 percent won’t cover costs within bond periods (see 1705240043). Muni broadband supporters complained the report treats local governments like companies and doesn’t consider consumer benefits.

Assessing success rate of municipal broadband projects isn't easy, said supporters and skeptics of local fiber projects in interviews. “I don’t think anyone can write a definitive report,” said Christopher Yoo, author of a University of Pennsylvania report. Consider financial data alongside anecdotal evidence, he recommended. Penn found about half of existing projects show negative cash flow, and 90 percent won’t cover costs within bond periods (see 1705240043). Muni broadband supporters complained the report treats local governments like companies and doesn’t consider consumer benefits.

Developing countries could boost their economies by billions of dollars if they signed on to the 1996 Information Technology Agreement, reported the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation Monday. The ITA eliminates tariffs on hundreds of information and communication technology products for its current 82 signatory countries, but some developing countries haven’t signed because they don’t want to give up income generated by targeted tariffs, ITIF said. Economic growth and associated increase in tax revenue that would accompany ITA “would bolster Argentina’s economic growth by an estimated 1.52 percent, or $12.7 billion in additional output, in the 10th year; Cambodia’s by 0.98 percent or $320 million; Chile’s by 0.23 percent or $920 million; Kenya’s by 1.29 percent or $1.4 billion; Pakistan’s by 1.30 percent or $4.6 billion; and South Africa’s by 0.17 percent or $770 million.” ITIF said Chile and South Africa would see a smaller economic impact from signing on because “these countries already have relatively low tariff rates on ITA-covered ICT products.”

Developing countries could boost their economies by billions of dollars if they signed on to the 1996 Information Technology Agreement, reported the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation Monday. The ITA eliminates tariffs on hundreds of information and communication technology products for its current 82 signatory countries, but some developing countries haven’t signed because they don’t want to give up income generated by targeted tariffs, ITIF said. Economic growth and associated increase in tax revenue that would accompany ITA “would bolster Argentina’s economic growth by an estimated 1.52 percent, or $12.7 billion in additional output, in the 10th year; Cambodia’s by 0.98 percent or $320 million; Chile’s by 0.23 percent or $920 million; Kenya’s by 1.29 percent or $1.4 billion; Pakistan’s by 1.30 percent or $4.6 billion; and South Africa’s by 0.17 percent or $770 million.” ITIF said Chile and South Africa would see a smaller economic impact from signing on because “these countries already have relatively low tariff rates on ITA-covered ICT products.”

Developing countries could boost their economies by billions of dollars if they signed on to the 1996 Information Technology Agreement, reported the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation Monday. The ITA eliminates tariffs on hundreds of information and communication technology products for its current 82 signatory countries, but some developing countries haven’t signed because they don’t want to give up income generated by targeted tariffs, ITIF said. Economic growth and associated increase in tax revenue that would accompany ITA “would bolster Argentina’s economic growth by an estimated 1.52 percent, or $12.7 billion in additional output, in the 10th year; Cambodia’s by 0.98 percent or $320 million; Chile’s by 0.23 percent or $920 million; Kenya’s by 1.29 percent or $1.4 billion; Pakistan’s by 1.30 percent or $4.6 billion; and South Africa’s by 0.17 percent or $770 million.” ITIF said Chile and South Africa would see a smaller economic impact from signing on because “these countries already have relatively low tariff rates on ITA-covered ICT products.”

Developing countries could boost their economies by billions of dollars if they signed on to the 1996 Information Technology Agreement, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation said May 22 in an economic analysis report (here). The ITA eliminates tariffs on hundreds of information and communication technology products for its current 82 signatory countries, but some developing countries haven’t signed the agreement because they don’t want to give up income generated by targeted tariffs, ITIF said. The economic analysis found that the economic growth and associated increase in tax revenue that would accompany ITA “would bolster Argentina’s economic growth by an estimated 1.52 percent, or $12.7 billion in additional output, in the 10th year; Cambodia’s by 0.98 percent or $320 million; Chile’s by 0.23 percent or $920 million; Kenya’s by 1.29 percent or $1.4 billion; Pakistan’s by 1.30 percent or $4.6 billion; and South Africa’s by 0.17 percent or $770 million.” ITIF said Chile and South Africa would see a smaller economic impact from signing on to the ITA because “these countries already have relatively low tariff rates on ITA-covered ICT products.”

T-Mobile and Dish Network emerged as the big story of the forward part of the TV incentive auction, based on their high bids in the TV incentive auction (see 1704130049), analysts and other industry observers said Thursday after the FCC released results (see 1704130040). The other big news on the forward auction concerned which parties didn’t play -- AT&T bid $910 million for 23 licenses and Verizon sat the auction out. Comcast bid less than expected, $1.7 billion for 73 licenses through CC Wireless. T-Mobile won 1,525 licenses for $8 billion. Dish got 486 licenses for $6.2 billion through ParkerB.com Wireless, more than expected. Comcast came away with 73 blocks and $1.7 billion in licenses through CC Wireless. Those forward auction bidders bought the spectrum of 175 TV stations, leaving close to 1000 to be repacked by 2020, the FCC said.

T-Mobile and Dish Network emerged as the big story of the forward part of the TV incentive auction, based on their high bids in the TV incentive auction (see 1704130049), analysts and other industry observers said Thursday after the FCC released results (see 1704130040). The other big news on the forward auction concerned which parties didn’t play -- AT&T bid $910 million for 23 licenses and Verizon sat the auction out. Comcast bid less than expected, $1.7 billion for 73 licenses through CC Wireless. T-Mobile won 1,525 licenses for $8 billion. Dish got 486 licenses for $6.2 billion through ParkerB.com Wireless, more than expected. Comcast came away with 73 blocks and $1.7 billion in licenses through CC Wireless. Those forward auction bidders bought the spectrum of 175 TV stations, leaving close to 1000 to be repacked by 2020, the FCC said.

Broadband infrastructure legislation should target unserved areas and rely on reverse auctions, with the FCC Connect America Fund (CAF) program a good example, said Doug Brake, telecom policy analyst at the Information and Technology and Innovation Foundation, who wrote a report released Monday. Such bills should use "multiple tools, including both tax incentives and targeted financial support," he summarized. "It is important for broadband infrastructure spending to focus first on areas that are legitimately unserved rather than propping up duplicative, smaller networks or increasing available speeds beyond what is reasonably needed." He said CAF "is the most well thought-out" existing federal broadband effort, and its "reverse-auction mechanism is a model for allocating funds." The loan programs of the Rural Utilities Service is a bad example, he wrote: "RUS has faced accountability challenges, and many of the networks benefiting from its guaranteed loans ultimately creep into low-cost areas that are already served competitively. It would be a mistake to expand on this program as part of an infrastructure bill."

Broadband infrastructure legislation should target unserved areas and rely on reverse auctions, with the FCC Connect America Fund (CAF) program a good example, said Doug Brake, telecom policy analyst at the Information and Technology and Innovation Foundation, who wrote a report released Monday. Such bills should use "multiple tools, including both tax incentives and targeted financial support," he summarized. "It is important for broadband infrastructure spending to focus first on areas that are legitimately unserved rather than propping up duplicative, smaller networks or increasing available speeds beyond what is reasonably needed." He said CAF "is the most well thought-out" existing federal broadband effort, and its "reverse-auction mechanism is a model for allocating funds." The loan programs of the Rural Utilities Service is a bad example, he wrote: "RUS has faced accountability challenges, and many of the networks benefiting from its guaranteed loans ultimately creep into low-cost areas that are already served competitively. It would be a mistake to expand on this program as part of an infrastructure bill."