Providing Americans with broadband internet access is critical to creating equity in today’s digital world, which is why we’re pleased to see federal funding being used to expand access in some Dallas County communities that need it most.
The new project, announced Tuesday, will use about $27.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to build and upgrade more than 60 miles of network infrastructure in up to 10 priority ZIP codes across Dallas County, according to a news release from Zayo, the company working with the county to build the infrastructure.
Most of the targeted zip codes are in the southern part of the county, but there are some in the north as well. These gaps in the north are less common and farther apart, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need to be addressed.
If the southern part of Dallas County were a city, it would be one of the worst connected cities in the U.S., but if the northern half of the county were a city, it would be one of the best connected, said Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins. That reveals a large opportunity gap between many people who live south of Interstate 30 and those who live north of it.
Nowadays, having an internet connection at home is almost as necessary as utilities like water and electricity. Most areas of our lives are connected to the internet in one way or another and it should be as accessible as possible.
Zayo will not build direct internet connections to residents’ homes. Instead, it will build what it calls a “middle-mile” network infrastructure, which is similar to large highways that cars use to travel between urban centers, but without internet. Building this infrastructure will make it more affordable for internet service providers to add the final connections, Jenkins said.
Broadband infrastructure is very expensive. Burying fiber optic cables underground can cost between $15 and $25 per foot, this newspaper reported. In poorer areas that have historically lacked investment, broadband infrastructure can be difficult to build. Using federal funds to make it more affordable makes a lot of sense.
Federal funds have been used elsewhere to help more people get internet access. In northwest Dallas, mostly rural Wise County used federal funds to expand broadband access through a partnership with internet service provider Nextlink. By using wireless spectrum to reduce costs, the county now has 99% broadband internet access.
Digital connections open up opportunities in education, healthcare, housing, transportation and employment that might otherwise be more exclusive. We are pleased that Dallas County is working to make these opportunities available to those who need them most.
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