Broadband Internet in WC

Feature Article:

Broadband Internet in Wilson County

Pulling Fiber Optic Cable (photo courtesy of AT&T)

Introduction

Wilson County’s future is cloudy. By that, we don’t mean murky. And it’s not about the weather. We’re talking about technology clouds - wide area computer networks. There are many arising tech cloud nets in the Digital Information Age of the 21st Century. Cellular phone networks, GPS networks, Satellite networks, private business networks, military defense networks, and others. And the cloud with perhaps the greatest coverage and impact of all, the public Internet.

The Internet (aka “Internet of Things”, or IoT) is as complex as it is large. The power and reach of the public Internet are evolving and expanding at a dizzying rate. Cloud-based data storage and application processing are revolutionizing today’s business operations and reshaping consumer behaviors. For an ever widening array of cloud-based applications that improve the lives of individuals and enable new models of commerce for the business community, users are attaching themselves in droves to the cloud Internet.

Accessing the Internet is a critical desire and challenge to everyone. Inadequate access to the cloud infers a likely competitive disadvantage for businesses and entails perhaps a lesser lifestyle for consumers.

To understand the Internet “big picture”, we note three key interdependent, interlocking, pieces that must fit snugly together to constitute the Internet tech environment:

• End User technology,

• Cloud technology, and

• Cloud access technology.

End User Technology are the user owned digital gadgetry. Smartphones, tablets, laptops, video gaming boxes, smart home/office devices, and so on. Users (e.g., organizations, managers, consumers) decide what type of computer, computer system premises equipment and other digital assets are required to best accomplish their tasks and objectives (e.g., be productive, make a profit, have satisfied customers, be entertained, etc.)

Cloud Technology consists of the computer network hardware and software needed to physically configure the cloud and offer services to its subscribers. Cloud components include such things as network controllers, packet switches, copper and fiber optic cables, wireless transmitters and receivers, network based servers, etc. Finally, there is Cloud Access Technology. This is the all-important tie which binds (connects) users’ digital devices to the cloud. Cloud access technology, CAT23 for short, is sometimes referred to as

an “edge technology” as it exists and operates at the perimeter rim of the cloud. An older, more traditional, terminology for CAT is “last mile”, noting the approximate distance between the network’s terminating switch and users’ premises equipment. Of the three components of the cloud environment, one can arguably say that cloud access technology (Internet access service) receives most of the attention of users, network providers, and public policy makers in their ongoing discussions.

CATs Up Close

A CAT is not a simple creature to own or control. It is a multi-faceted technology whose critical role can be adversely affected by the manner in which it is provisioned. A CAT can be thought of as having three important layers a tech layer and 2 impact layers. The first, or lower, layer refers to the CAT’s physical “access media” hardware used to transmit data and information via copper cables, fiber cables, or by wireless radio signals.

The second, or middle, layer refers to the transmission quality and service capabilities made possible by the first layer - e.g., speed, response time, reliability, data security, etc. The third, or upper, level refers to the end-user application made possible by the IT capabilities of the second layer, e.g, constructing and accessing web sites, engaging in electronic commerce, attending electronic meetings, participating in distance training/education programs, observing video streaming content, etc.

The most powerful CAT on the block is the “broadband” CAT, one in which the Internet connection speed between users and the cloud is very fast. Like in NASCAR racing, Internet access speed is the top priority. Not everything users do on the Internet will require a fast connection, but a growing percentage do.

Why Do We Need Broadband?

FCC Definition of Broadband

Historically, the term “broadband” has been variously defined to mean different transmission speeds in various technical contexts. Due to a relative lack of consensus by the scientific community concerning the term, the federal government (specifically, the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC) has taken upon itself the role to precisely define a suitably fast minimum Internet access speed to be considered broadband. This objective has proven to be somewhat of a moving target, however. Given ongoing improvements in computer and telecommunications technologies, the notion of a “fast” transmission speed has changed over time. In fact, the FCC has redefined (increased) the transmission speed benchmark definition of “broadband” three times since 1996.

Since 2015 and still in effect as of this writing, the FCC defines an Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) Internet access service as “broadband” as long as the “asynchronous” offered service provides a minimum download speed of 25 Mbps (million bits per second) and an upload speed of 3 Mbps. Download speed refers to the transmission of data coming out of the Internet cloud to the subscriber. Upload speed refers to data transmission from the user’s device into the cloud.

Notably, access media matters. Data transmits faster over “fixed wire media” such as copper or fiber, than over wireless media, such as cellular phone nets, or by satellite. In recognition of current stark differences between wireline and wireless access media, the FCC proposed in late 2017 to set a lower benchmark for “mobile broadband” of 10/1, instead of continuing with the 25/3 standard24 . The FCC proposal to define a lower benchmark for wireless broadband than for wire-based fixed broadband was not well received by the IT trade media so the same broadband access speed minimum still applies to both wire-based and wireless Internet services25 .

Asking why users need broadband is akin to asking why race car enthusiasts want a big engine under the hood. For speed baby. As consumers or businesses use the Internet to do more and more things, many

24 Inquiry Concerning Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications Capability to All Americans in a Reasonable and Timely Fashion, GN Docket No. 17-199, 13th Section 706 Report Notice of Inquiry, page 7, Federal Communications Commission, Adopted and Released: August 8, 2017, available at https://transition.fcc.gov/Daily Releases/Daily Business/2017/db0808/FCC-17-109A1.pdf 25 The now emerging 5G mobile services being promoted by cellular service providers may close or eliminate the current transmission standard debate between fixed broadband and mobile broadband Internet services - assuming that unexpected costs or raised health and environmental concerns don’t impede its deployment.

of these “things” increasingly require more complex, oftentimes high computer memory intensive, media types. Faster transmission speed means a sharper image, smoother movement, and less screen delay. In a recent online advertisement for broadband service, perhaps AT&T describes as well as anyone the required Internet service bit rates that are needed to support various types of popular online applications26 :

• Basic Internet use: .5 to 3 Mbps

– sending emails – browsing the web – downloading texts such as e-books

• Moderate Internet use: 6 to 18 Mbps

– downloading an SD video – downloading mp3 songs – streaming short SD videos – connecting 2-3 devices at once

• Heavy Internet use: 25+ Mbps

– streaming SD or HD shows and movies – online gaming – downloading multiple songs at once – connecting numerous devices at once.

Since the Internet first become a hot technology commodity back in the mid-1990s, an evolving public adoption and transition to new media has occurred starting with monochrome text and numerical data, then to basic sound and color images, then to basic video and high fidelity sound, and now to really “good quality” video and advanced multimedia.

For consumers, the need for faster access speed to the Internet may be as simple as noting that all the “good TV shows and movies” are moving over to the Internet. Viewers are increasingly deserting the old traditional television broadcasting and cable network venues dominated by such well known “content providers” as ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, HBO, etc. and moving over to Internet platforms where we find such IoT based content providers as NetFlix, Apple TV, Hulu, Disney, etc. - where viewers have more channel control, program flexibility and interactivity. The mass migration of viewers from broadcast and cable network platforms to the Internet is obvious and irreversible.

A recent survey by SurveyMonkey27 comparing cable/satellite TV to Internet streaming TV viewer behavior found, for example, that

• Half of those today who watch only cable or satellite TV are senior citizens;

• Over a quarter of 18-29 year olds prefer Internet programming;

• 60% of those who currently use both cable/satellite TV AND Internet TV are thinking of canceling their cable/satellite TV service within the next year;

• More than half of all sampled viewers believe that streaming services are cheaper than cable/satellite and a third say that streaming is more convenient for on-demand programming than cable/satellite services.

Cloud-based video is here to stay. Not only is the TV viewer audience moving over to the Internet but the general video community has become the IoT’s most prominent user group. For better or worse, for consumers and business users alike, information gathering, dissemination and analysis is increasingly visual in nature. In the coming years, the total of all forms of digital video is expected to reach 86% of total Internet traffic28 . As the Internet becomes the dominant platform for video-based entertainment, video-based learning, video-based consumer and business transactions and so on, those lacking broadband access will be ill equipped to participate in, and benefit from, an increasingly video mediadominant society.

26 https://www.attplans.com/resources/difference-mbps-and-mbps/ 27 https://www.surveymonkey.com/curiosity/how-do-consumers-feel-about-streaming-services-vs-cable/ , retrieved on July 8, 2019. 28 The Importance of Broadband: Why This Matters by Diane Kruse, NEO Connect, 2017

Economic and Community Impacts

Businesses and municipalities need and want broadband Internet. A 2012 study29 commissioned by the Kaufman Foundation reviewed economic development impacts of broadband technology in the U.S. The study included positive survey results and testimonials regarding six key socio-economic outcomes:

• Attracting new businesses to a community,

• Making existing businesses more profitable,

• Reviving depressed business districts,

• Increasing home based businesses,

• Reviving depressed communities, and

• Improving personal economic development.

Additionally, a 2017 report on broadband deployment in Tennessee stated that “communities without broadband have difficulty attracting and retaining businesses and that almost 45% of surveyed development agencies reported that businesses either frequently or occasionally chose not to locate in their communities because of insufficient broadband”30 .

FCC Oversight

Because of the potential adverse community and economic impacts resulting from technological disparities in local public IT infrastructures, the Federal Commissions Commission (FCC) monitors the number of ISPs operating in various regions of the nation. Also being monitored are the types of available public services and what media platforms are being deployed.

The economic mindset is this. Three or more ISPs present and competing against one another in a select local area (e.g., federal census tract) is good. Only two ISPs present is not so good. And in a worse scenario, only one ISP is present - an unfortunate situation as the CAT service provider may be tempted to act in a monopolistic manner, resulting in local higher prices and lower quality of service. The typical remedy for a local ISP monopoly is municipal regulation, the effectiveness of which depends on the local laws and public policy.

Worse still are cases where either 1) no ISP is present31 , or 2) those ISPs that are present have not yet invested in the CAT infrastructure needed to provide a desired level of public Internet service quality and connect speed. Examples of these scenarios include the lack of cellular towers, or use of outmoded cell technology in select localities - resulting in socalled service “dead zones”, a dearth of advanced mobile data services (including Internet access), etc.

Perhaps the most notable current local public technology of concern to the FCC is the lacking local deployment of fiber optic cabling technology.

Fixed Broadband Defined

A variety of alternate ISP service technologies and transmission media currently exist to access the Internet, though not all are available in every local area. The most important of these Internet services fall under the category of what is sometimes referred to as “fixed broadband”.

Fixed broadband is a major FCC Internet service category of interest. The term refers to ISP CAT services in which subscribers access the Internet at broadband speeds from fixed user locations (e.g., homes or office buildings). A related term, Fixed Internet Service, or Fixed Internet, refers to fixed location access services whether the service is provisioned at broadband speed or at lower sub-broadband bitrates.

Fixed Internet services include the following access media types: • ADSL,

• Cable,

• Fixed Wireless,

• Fiber, and • Satellite (e.g., roof mounted).

29 “Driving economic outcomes with broadband”, Chapter 16 in Building the Gigabit City by Craig Settles, self-published e-book, 2013, retrieved at http://www.ourbroadbandfuture.com/uploads/3/6/3/1/3631947/settles-building-the-gigabit-city.pdf 30 Broadband Deployment, Availability and Adoption In Tennessee, Report of the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, January 2017 31 Here, we are referring to terrestrial based ISPs, which includes cellular as well as cable based (copper or fiber) ISPs. Satellite ISPs are, of course, available to everyone on the planet, but vulnerabilities to weather disturbances, inherent latency delay and pricing, prompt many potential subscribers to consider the service platform only as a last resort.

The term “Internet Service”, or Internet Access Service, usually refers to the access media and speed used to connect a subscriber (e.g., a consumer or business) to the Internet. The speed (i.e., service quality) at which a user can access the Internet depends in part on which specific type of transmission media the user subscribes. There are three transmission media options - copper that transmits electrical signals, wireless that transmits radio signals, and finally, fiber optic cabling (fiber, for short) that transmits light signals 32 . Data transmitted over copper is generally faster than by radio wave. And data transmitted over fiber is faster than over copper or wireless media. Radio waves (and hence, all wireless platforms) have the added disadvantage of being more vulnerable to environmental disturbances. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) today mostly provision 4 types of copper based Internet services and 3 types of wireless Internet services. Copper based Internet services include DSL (or ADSL33 ), cable, electric powerline, or traditional/other copper. Wireless options include cellular mobile, fixed wireless, and satellite.

When deciding on which type of Internet service(s) to offer in a given region, ISPs consider a variety of technical and market related factors, including transmission distances, terrain topologies, population densities, local residential and economic growth trends, time to recoup up front capital investment, future revenue potential, public subsidies, government support, etc.

Internet Service in Wilson County

The good news is that everyone in Wilson County can subscribe to a broadband Internet service, though not all via wireline access.

Internet service provider (ISP) access technologies currently being offered in WC’s urban city and town areas of Lebanon, Mt. Juliet and Watertown are listed in Table 4. The table also gives the number of ISPs that provide urban Internet service via a particular access media.

There are almost two dozen ISP provider networks offering Internet service in WC’s Lebanon and Mt. Juliet city regions, along with 10 provider networks in Watertown. Mt Juliet and Lebanon average download speeds are 47.14 mbps and 45.09 mbps, respectively while Watertown’s average is estimated at 11.71 mbps. The download speeds of WC’s two largest urban areas, Lebanon and Mt. Juliet, compare favorably with the estimated overall 45.1 mbps ISP average for the entire state of Tennessee.

Lebanon has a lot of DSL ISPs (5), a few Cable ISPs (2), and several fiber ISP networks (4). Mt Juliet has an equal number of Cable, DSL and Fiber ISPs at 3 each. Among wireline ISPs, Watertown has 2 DSL service providers, 1 cable ISP and no fiber ISP. For the copper access ISPs (mostly T-carrier services), both Lebanon and Mt. Juliet are well represented at 3 and 5, respectively.

Urban vs Rural Wilson County

According to recent FCC data, there are at least 3 ISPs operating in WC which provide broadband Internet services to 99.68% of the county’s urban residents. There are 2 ISPs present that offer broadband to the remaining .32% of urban WC. For Wilson County’s rural residents, at least 3 ISPs are present that provide broadband Internet to 88.93% of the rural populace, and 2 ISPs providing broadband to the

32 Copper based Internet (access) service options include the provisioning of Internet service via 1) coaxial cable which uses thick gauge cable TV cabling (aka cable Internet), 2) landline phone wiring, which uses thin gauge category 5 copper telephone wire (aka Digital Subscriber Line, or DSL Internet), 3) electrical utility powerlines (powerline Internet, while technically possible, has decidedly been nixed as a service offering by most ISPs), and 4) “other” traditional point-to-point transmission services such as 1.5 Mbps T1, 45 Mbps T3, ISDN primary rate, etc.

Wireless Internet service options include 1) mobile Internet services which connect portable user devices (e.g., smartphones) via cell phone towers, 2) satellite Internet services which use small satellite dishes mounted on building or home roof tops, and 3) fixed wireless services, which use stationary (fixed) line-of-sight transmitters externally mounted on buildings or homes that communicate with fixed wireless towers. 33 In this report, the terms DSL and “ADSL” are used interchangeably. ADSL stands for asymmetric digital subscriber line. Asymmetric simply means that the download and upload speeds are different from one another.

remaining 11.07%.

If we exclude satellite Internet, which is available to 100% of WC residents, broadband Internet is available to 95.21% of county residents through at least one fixed broadband service type. About 4.79% of WC residents, mostly those who live in rural areas, do not have broadband access to the Internet except through satellite Internet service.

Wilson County’s ISP service offerings follow national trends in that the portfolio of available Internet access services is different for urban vs rural regions. Internet access media commonly available in urban areas includes DSL, Cable and Fiber. For rural regions, the available Internet service mix is more likely to include DSL, Satellite and Fixed Wireless.

Although Table 4 shows that WC’s urban areas are in relatively good shape with healthy levels of ISP competition, the rural parts of the county are faced with some significant economic and technical challenges. In Figure R8, we compare the percentage of various kinds of fixed broadband Internet services that are available to WC residents living in urban vs rural parts of the county. These urban/rural regional differences are described in greater detail in the following sections on each type of fixed broadband service. The FCC data is based on a 2017 county population total of 136,436 persons, 79,692 of which are classified as residing in urban WC and 56,744 as living in rural WC.

Wilson County Census Tracts

The FCC maps referenced in this report show the number of ISPs that are present within each of Wilson County’s 21 census tracts, both urban and rural34 . Federal census tract35 ID numbers and locations for Wilson County are shown in Map 1. Since census tracts are designed to include an average of 4000 people each, larger geographic census tracts in Map 1 are viewed as being more rural whereas much smaller geographic tracts are considered as urban areas.

Map 1: Wilson County TN 2010 Census Tracts Source: U.S. Census Bureau

ISP Competition in WC

To depict the local presence and competitive level of ISPs, the FCC uses a visual color spectrum coding scheme, shown in Legend A. Legend A’s progression through the color spectrum, from light to darker hues of yellow, green, blue and black, depicts an increasingly larger number of competing ISPs in the select area36 of interest. Legend A should be used to interpret the color-coded FCC maps and Figure R9.

Maps 2 through 6 consider only ISP Internet services which provide at least the FCC’s desired minimum “25/3” broadband connection. 25/3 is FCC shorthand notation for 25mbps minimum down-

34 The FCC designates census blocks as urban vs. rural based on definitions used in the 2010 U.S. Census. The Census Bureau identifies two types of urban areas: 1) Urbanized Areas (UAs) of 50,000 or more people; and 2) Urban Clusters (UCs) of at least 2,500 and less than 50,000 people. “Rural” encompasses all population, housing, and territory not included within an urban area. (source: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/urban-rural.html ) 35 Designed for use in constitutionally mandated decennial national population counts, census tracts are small, relatively permanent statistical subdivisions of a county consisting on average of approximately 4000 people (may be as small as 1200 or as large as 8000 people). Census tracts can be further subdivided into block groups and census blocks. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau) 36 According to the color definitions of Legend A, a yellow census tract implies that there are no ISPs present that provide Internet service at a selected access speed or using a selected media type. Greenish tracts indicate a non-competitive situation (only 1 ISP present). Light blue regions are essentially duopolistic (2 ISPs). Competitive ISP environments exist in tracts colored as blue and darker hues (3 to 6 ISPs). Black (12 or more ISPs) would indicate essentially a perfect competitive landscape. A final point about the FCC Legend A is to note that color-based indications that imply there are “x” ISPs present does not necessarily imply that each ISP present offers service to the entire census tract. For example, while 2 ISPs may be shown as operating in the same tract, in actuality they may be serving different divided customer locations - so that only 1 ISP is actually offering service to a particular subtract locality or neighborhood.

load speed, accompanied by 3mbps minimum upload speed.

Legend A - Number of Broadband ISPs by Color Code Source: Federal Communications Commission

In general, Wilson County’s competitive landscape for fixed broadband services is very good, depicted in Map 2 by countywide blue color hues, indicating 3 or more competing ISPs within each census district.

In a closer look Map 2, however, we note that the blue hues on the north western side of WC are darker than the blues on the county’s south eastern side. Using Legend A to interpret this color disparity, we conclude that people living on the western side of WC, from the county seat of Lebanon, towards Nashville (i.e., urban WC), have more competitive choices for fixed broadband Internet service (shown by the dark blues) than do people living on the eastern side of Lebanon, who have fewer choices (i.e., rural WC, as shown by the light blues).

Figure R9 gives Internet connect speeds for WC’s fixed Internet service providers. Overall, WC currently has at least 3 ISPs that provide 25/3 broadband Internet service to 95.21% of the county’s residents. For faster 100/10 broadband service, 54.8% of WC residents are served by 2 ISPs while 32.11% only have a single ISP offering the service. 9.49% of WC residents live in a census tract part of the county where 100/10 fixed broadband is not available.

How do fixed broadband competition levels and service coverage compare among the three most popular ISP access media types in Wilson County - that of DSL, Cable and Fiber? Map 3 shows the number of ISPs that provide broadband Internet service using DSL (Map 3-A) versus Cable (Map 3-B). Map 5 shows similar information for fiber-based Internet service. Confirming the results of Figure R8, these maps show that DSL based Internet service dominates the rural areas of WC while cable and fiber optic based Internet service are more prevalent in urban areas of the county.

Like the nation at large, most broadband services in WC today are provided primarily through copper based technologies (e.g., cable or DSL) or wireless (e.g., fixed wireless or satellite) though with varying levels of price and service quality.

Broadband DSL37

According to Map 3-A, with few exceptions, 25/3 broadband DSL is available in every census tract in WC though perhaps only through a single ISP. Low competitive levels of DSL service is not surprising since DSL primarily takes advantage of existing “legacy” phone wiring infrastructure left over from the pre-cellular regulated monopoly days of landline phone service. But while most of WC is coded green, broadband DSL is not available in every census tract region in the county as noted by the few patches of yellow. Nor is broadband DSL necessarily available to every residential location within a DSL service census tract. For example, while Map 3-A shows that all Mt Juliet and Lebanon census tracts have broadband DSL, upon closer examination of the WC enlargement in Map 4, one notes the spotty service coverage of broadband DSL. This WC DSL case points to an oft-criticized flaw found in the FCC data, not only for broadband DSL, but for all of the other fixed broadband alternatives as well, that the FCC data actually overestimates the availability of fixed broadband service, for the nation as well as for the residents of Wilson County.

Unavailability of broadband DSL service in Wilson County includes a parcel of eastern WC land bordering Davidson County, just north of Hayes Road (census tract 303.08), as well as WC land bordering the eastern side of Smith Hill Road (census tract 303.04). According to the most recent FCC data (released in December 2017), broadband DSL is available to 52.28% of WC residents through a single ISP. Broadband DSL is unavailable to 46.28% of the county’s residents.

Possible reasons for lack of broadband DSL service in some parts of WC (and elsewhere in the U.S.) may be related to ISP/telephone carrier business de-

37 The terms DSL and ADSL are used interchangeably in this report. DSL is a broader term referring to digital data services which transmit over phone lines. ASDL is the most commonly requested DSL service. “Asymmetric” Digital Subscriber Line refers to the fact that the data transmission speeds are dissimilar for upload vs download directions. 38 Another reason for lacking availability of broadband DSL in select locations is the “local loop” distance limitation for data

Map 2: Number of Fixed Broadband Providers in Wilson County TN, 2017 Source: Federal Communications Commission

(A) ADSL (B) Cable

Map 3: Number of ADSL and Cable Broadband Providers in Wilson County TN, 2017 Source: Federal Communications Commission

Map 4: Number of ADSL Broadband Providers (Enlargement) in Wilson County TN, 2017 Source: Federal Communications Commission

Map 5: Number of Fiber Broadband Providers in Wilson County TN, 2017 Source: Federal Communications Commission

(A) North of I-40 (B) South of I-40 Map 6: Number of Fiber Broadband Providers (Enlargements) in Wilson County TN, 2018 Source: Federal Communications Commission

Figure R8

Urban vs Rural Broadband Coverage by Media Type in Wilson County TN, 2017

Source: Federal Communications Commission

Figure R9

Number of ISPs Serving Wilson County TN Residents by Access Speed, 2017

Source: Federal Communications Commission

Lebanon Mt. Juliet Watertown

ISP Access Type

Cable 2 3 1 DSL 5 3 2 Fiber 4 3 Fixed Wireless 1 1 Mobile Broadband 5 5 5 Powerline/Copper 3 5 Satellite 2 2 2

Total no. of provider networks 22 21 10 Avg download speed (Mbps) 45.09 47.14 11.71 No. residential ISPs 8 8 6 No. business ISPs 14 13 3 No. mobile ISPs 5 5 5

Table 4: Number of ISPs in Wilson County, TN by Access Technology Type, 2019 Sources: broadbandnow.com, Federal Communications Commision

cisions not to upgrade or invest in new DSL installations38 - as in the case of new residential developments, as well as ISP decisions to focus on higher demand high speed wireless (e.g., 5G) and fiber optic based services.

Broadband DSL is available to 49.02% of urban WC through a single ISP. The service is unavailable, however, to the remaining 50.17% of WC’s urban residents. Interestingly, the picture is brighter for rural county residents where broadband ADSL is available to 56.85% of rural WC but through a single ISP, with the service available to another 2.32% by 2 ISPs. Broadband ADSL is unavailable to 40.82% of rural WC.

Broadband Cable

Map 3-B shows the service availability and competitive landscape for broadband Cable. Broadband Cable is available to 87.17% of WC residents, though through a single ISP39 . The service is not available to 10.59% of WC residents.

Broadband Cable is available in WC primarily to those who live north of route 265 and on the western side of Interstate 840. Broadband cable is mostly unavailable to residents in rural census tract 309.04 which is the region south of route 265 and east of I-840. Except for Watertown and its immediate surrounding area, broadband cable is generally not available to those residing south of route 265 (census tract 310) and on to the eastern county line.

Broadband cable is a winner in urban WC with the service available to a whopping 98.15% of the community, though through a single ISP, with another .82% residing in city areas where 2 ISPs offer the broadband service. The residential market for broadband cable is smaller in rural WC where the broadband service is available to 71.75% of the populace through a single ISP, and an additional 4.23% of rural residents living in areas served by 2 ISPs. Broadband cable is unavailable to 24.02% of rural WC.

Similar to the case for broadband DSL, the relatively low level of competition for broadband cable is not surprising and may be largely due to localities traditionally being served by a single cable service

transmission over thin gauge phone wiring. The greater the distance of a residence from the local serving telephone switch, the more expensive it is to provision DSL service, the case of rural areas notwithstanding. 39 One might wonder why a greater percentage of Wilson County residents can subscriber to broadband Internet service over cable than over the telephone wiring used for DSL. The simple reason for the service disparity is that the Internet transmission speed capacity decreases as the distance between the ISP switch and the subscriber’s home or office increases (aka “the last mile”). Thus, in the rural regions where this distance may be great, WC residents who live far from the ISP cloud may still be able to subscribe to an Internet DSL service but the available connect speed may be less than 25/3 and thus “not broadband”.

provider. Most cable TV subscribers are offered cable based Internet service as added service by the same carrier although the service may be provisioned to the subscriber through a separate coaxial cable connection.

Broadband Wireless

There are three wireless Internet services that are capable of broadband speeds: Mobile (cellular phone data service) and two fixed wireless options Satellite and Fixed Wireless. Mobile data device users and Satellite subscribers have 100% broadband service tract coverage in Wilson County and Tennessee. Both wireless Internet services are competitive.

The most popular urban ISP service offering in Wilson County is Mobile Broadband, meaning Internet access via cell towers to/from a person’s smartphone, tablet or other portable mobile device. While both urban and rural Internet users may also subscribe to Mobile Broadband, it’s mostly rural residents who subscribe to Satellite Broadband, a wireless media fraught with servicing issues including latency transmission delays, weather disturbances, service pricing and caps on Internet data usage. Urban residents in WC and other densely populated regions are not likely to subscribe to satellite services due to the presence of other Internet service alternatives that are less costly and of better service quality.

Most current mobile broadband devices use 4th generation (4G, aka 4G LTE) transmission technology, with faster 5th generation (5G) services rolled out by ISPs in select urban locations around the U.S. including nearby Nashville.

While the transmission speeds of 4G technology can exceed the FCC 25/3 threshold minimum for broadband, a variety of technical and environmental factors can reduce mobile Internet access to connect speeds below the FCC broadband minimum. For reliable broadband service and oftentimes provisioned above the 25/3 minimum, most users would prefer a fixed broadband Internet service connection over a mobile link.

Fixed Wireless

Fixed Wireless service is sometimes provisioned as a broadband service and sometimes at sub-broadband speed. There are 50 listed Fixed Wireless providers in Tennessee with a 21.4% service coverage of the state40 . In 2018, AT&T announced an expansion of its Fixed Wireless service to its rural based customers in 18 states, including select rural areas of Tennessee41 .

Ubiquiti Air Fiber Fixed Wireless Mount (photo courtesy of Cumberland University)

Popular in Midwestern states, and currently promoted with maximum download speed in the range of 10-12mbps (AT&T, Verizon), 50mbps (Rise Broadband) or 100mbps (Etheric Networks)42 , one will note that Fixed Wireless technology is technically capable of transmitting at gigabit speed, though line of sight transmission is required.

According to 2017 FCC data, the number of Fixed Wireless residential users in Wilson County is essentially zero. The number of Fixed Wireless business customers in WC is unknown but probably low. Notably, at least one ISP (United Communications) is expanding into Wilson County that actively promotes fixed wireless services to rural communities, though currently not at gigabit speeds.

Fixed Wireless is one of few alternate Internet access technologies that can technically compete with fiber optic cable capabilities43 . A fixed wireless trans-

40 Source: broadbandnow.com 41 Source: “AT&T Expands Access to High Speed Internet in Benton & Henry Counties and other Rural and Underserved Areas of Tennessee”, Posted by AT&T Tennessee Team on August 09, 2018, available at https://engage.att.com/tennessee/blog/?PostI d=4849 42 Source: https://www.allconnect.com/internet/fixed-wireless 43 “Pros and Cons of Fixed Wireless Broadband Internet Access” by Bradley Mitchell, Livewire, August 09 2019, available at https://www.lifewire.com/fixed-wireless-broadband-internet-access-818318

mission “tower” replaces the need to lay FO cable, which in certain circumstances may represent a significant cost savings. In certain parts of the country, some urban regions have considered Fixed Wireless as a permanent or temporary high speed broadband service alternative to fiber44 .

Will Fixed Wireless become an important broadband access option for rural areas? Some analysts claim a significant future for this Internet access technology.

“Fixed wireless internet already covers nearly half the U.S. population, but many providers hope to continue expanding their networks to bring the service to more areas. AT&T has recently announced their fixed wireless service now covers parts of 18 states and the company hopes to “make internet access available in over 1.1 million locations by the end of 2020.” Verizon’s fixed wireless internet – LTE Internet (installed) – is already available in most locations where Verizon 4G LTE service is offered. As Verizon rolls out their 5G network, new fixed wireless plans with faster speeds may become available in select areas. Other fixed wireless providers, such as Rise Broadband, also hope to continue expansion and bring fixed wireless broadband to more areas. Rise Broadband recently announced plans to preserve their networks, currently in 16 states, with plans to expand to more markets in coming years.” 45

Broadband Fiber

Just like being offered a Ford Focus or a Ford Lincoln Town Car, most of us would naturally prefer to drive the Town Car, with its higher vehicular performance, features and quality. Similarly, choosing among an Internet service subscription offer for DSL, Cable or Fiber, the clear and obvious choice would be for Fiber. Fiber optic cables carry light signals, incomparably faster and more secure than electrical or radio signals transmitted over the other access media alternatives. Broadband by fiber means gigabit (a billion bits) per second transmission speed.

Rackmount with fiber optic cable connectors (photo courtesy of Cumberland University)

Map 5 shows where fiber Internet46 service is available in Wilson County, indicated by the dark and light green areas of the map. Fiber Internet service in Wilson County is primarily available on the urban east side of Lebanon (including Mt Juliet) going towards Nashville, and is mostly unavailable on the western rural side of the county. According to FCC data, about half (48%) of WC’s total population live in a fiber Internet service area served by one ISP. Fiber Internet is unavailable to slightly more than half of Wilson County’s residents (50.93%).

According to FCC data released June 2018, fiber optic- based Internet service is unavailable to almost 75% of all U.S. residents. The data also estimates that slightly over 25% of the nation can get fiber internet through one local provider, 1% can choose fiber from two providers, and .03% reside in areas where three or more providers offer fiber service. For

44 See, for example, “Windstream Outlines Fixed Wireless Efforts in Iowa, Highlights Growing Interest in Expanding Wireless Broadband” by Joan Engebretson, Telecompetitor, July 02, 2019. Available at https://www.telecompetitor.com/windstreamoutlines-fixed-wireless-efforts-in-iowa-highlights-growing-interest-in-expanding-wireless-broadband/ 45 Source: https://www.allconnect.com/internet/fixed-wireless 46 In today’s Fiber Internet installations, the fiber optic cabling is usually terminated either at 1) an off-premises location - near, but outside, the home or office building, or else 2) to the premise location - inside the home or office. A popular service of the off-premises case is Fiber-to-the-Node (FTTN). A common service of the premises case is Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH). In business scenarios, FTTH is often referred to as Fiber-to-the-Building (FTTB). In FTTN, fiber is run to a nearby off-premises hub which uses either a wireless signal (e.g., Wifi) or conventional copper coax cable/twisted pair wiring (Cable/DSL) configuration to connect to the user’s computer. Still in use today, FTTN was an early ISP favorite due to its relatively lower installation cost and being able to serve multiple homes or business from the same hub. With FTTH, the ISP runs fiber directly into the home or office and terminates the fiber optic cable at a port on a “fiber modem” (which replaces the cable/DSL modem), then running a copper Ethernet cable the remaining few feet to the user’s computer.

Wilson County, broadband fiber Internet is available through a single ISP to 68.39% of the people living in the urban areas of the county. An additional 1.25% are served by 2 ISPs. Broadband fiber is unavailable to 30.35% of urban WC. For rural WC residents, broadband fiber is available to 22.55% of the populace through a single ISP, with an additional 1.39% provided the service by two ISPs. Broadband fiber Internet is currently unavailable to 76.06% of the persons living in rural areas of Wilson County.

Figures 6A and 6B provide enlargements of Figure 5 to show specific areas of fiber availability within each WC census tract. Interestingly, Figure 6B shows a turquoise blue coloring for a land parcel located in census tract 309.03 between Gladeville and Suggs Creek, just south of route 265 and to the west of I-840. According to Legend A, this indicates the presence of 2 ISPs offering broadband fiber in this region, unlike the surrounding areas of tract 309.03 which have at most a single fiber ISP present.

TDS

Business Fiber Internet in WC

According to FCC data released December 2017, the 3 largest fiber broadband business service providers in Wilson County are AT&T, TDS and Charter Spectrum. In Lebanon, business fiber service coverage includes AT&T (16.6%), Windstream (2.65%), Spectrum Business (1.57%) and CenturyLink (.6%). In Mt Juliet, the largest fiber ISPs are TDS Business (33.7% service coverage), AT&T (14.3%) and CenturyLink Business (1.6%). Watertown had no fiber business ISP as of the 2017 FCC data release. See Table 5.

AT&T

AT&T has been an active telecom service provider in Wilson County for decades. From 2016 to 2018, AT&T invested more than $15 million in wireline and wireless network infrastructure in WC. During the same time period, 13 wireless upgrades were made in WC by AT&T as well as 1 new cell tower site. As of May 2019, 100% of WC was covered by AT&T’s Mobile Broadband network. As of July 2019, there were 8 AT&T wifi hotspots in the county as well as 6 local retail centers. Interestingly, AT&T states that there are 256 employee retirees living in WC.47

Wisconsin-based Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS) has operated in Tennessee and WC since 1975 investing $432 million in the region. Most of TDS’ presence in Wilson County is in the Mt. Juliet area. TDS currently claims 94% fiber coverage in Mt. Juliet with access speeds up to 1 gigabyte per second. The remaining 6% of Mt. Juliet has access speed up to 100 mbps. There are about 11,000 Mt Juliet residents using TDS broadband services, 10,100 for Internet and 7,000 using TDS broadband for video applications.48 , 49

Charter Communications

Telecom network services provider Charter Communications Inc. offers its cable TV, Internet and wireless services to consumers and businesses under the branding name Spectrum. Since merging with Bright House Networks and Time Warner Cable in 2016, Charter Communications has grown to become one of the top three largest U.S. Internet providers. Charter’s Internet service area includes 102.7 million residents and spans 44 states. They have the widest coverage in California, Texas, New York, and 41 other states. In Tennessee, Charter Spectrum service is available to 1.8 million people, or about 31% of the state50 . Spectrum’s primary business Internet service presence is in the Lebanon, TN area.

47 Information provided by AT&T, August 2019 48 Information provided by TDS, September 2019 49 “TDS celebrates launch of 1 Gigabit high-speed Internet service in Mt. Juliet, Tenn”, January 30, 2015, updated February 2019, retrieved from https://tdstelecom.com/about/news/categories/tds/1gig-service-in-mt-juliet.html 50 Source: broadbandnow.com

MTEMC-United Partnership

A promising broadband regional initiative launched August 2018 in Wilson County is a partnership between the Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Cooperative (MTEMC) and United Communications (United)51 . MTEMC is the largest electrical coop in Tennessee and is the public electric utility for Wilson County. United is an ISP that operates within the state of Tennessee. The company offers fiber broadband, fixed wireless and DSL Internet services, with a particular servicing focus on rural areas. A major objective of the MTEMC/United Partnership initiative is to expand broadband Internet service coverage in rural portions of WC and other nearby rural counties.

Besides its expansion of broadband Internet service coverage, United is also assisting MTEMC with

51 Information reported on the M/U Partnership comes from a discussion meeting held August 9th, 2019 with senior executives from MTEMC and United Communications. See also information links at https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/williams on/2018/08/24/rural-broadband-middle-tennessee-electric-membership-united-communications/1087476002/ and https://www.mt emc.com/content/state%E2%80%99s-largest-electric-cooperative%C2%A0partners%C2%A0%C2%A0local-internet-service-provide r-expand

Internet Service Provider (ISP) Internet Access Technology

City Coverage Maximum Business Download Speed Average Business Download Speed

Lebanon Business ISPs AT&T DSL, IPBB 99.7% 100 Mbps 69.34 Mbps Spectrum Business cable 90.7% 300 Mbps 91.28 Mbps AT&T fiber 16.6% 1 Gbps DTC DSL 16.3% 50 Mbps Comcast Business cable 11.04% 987 Mbps 114.79 Mbps GTT Communications DSL , copper 3.38% 6 Mbps Windstream fiber 2.65% 500 Mbps Spectrum Business fiber 1.57% 1 Gbps MegaPath copper 1.0%+ 3 Mbps CenturyLink Business fiber, copper 0.6%+ 1 Gbps

Mt Juliet Business ISPs Comcast Business cable 100% 987 Mbps 55.72 Mbps AT&T DSL, IPBB 45.3% 100 Mbps TDS Business fiber 33.7% 1 Gbps AT&T fiber 14.3% 1 Gbps Spectrum Business cable 6.4% 300 Mbps 76.9 Mbps Windstream copper 3.1%+ 1.5 Mbps CenturyLink Business fiber, copper 1.6%+ 1 Gbps XO Communications copper 1.2%+ 10 Mbps Verizon Business copper 1.0%+ 3 Mbps GTT Communications copper .2%+

Watertown Business ISPs DTC DSL 100% 50 Mbps AT&T DSL, IPPB 65.9% 25 Mbps Spectrum Business cable 40.3% 300 Mbps 54.56 Mbps

Table 5: Wilson County Business Internet Service Providers, 2019 Sources: broadbandnow.com, Federal Communications Commision

the development of SmartGrid. MTEMC’s SmartGrid is a self-healing electric services grid consisting of MTEMC’s electric grid coupled with a fiber optic network overlay for improved and faster communication and telemetry data transfer - to improve electric provider grid management, more quickly resolve power outages, automate electrical routing and rerouting actions, provide subscribers with electric usage reports, as well as enable other improvements in customer service.

United does not currently provide residential broadband Internet service in Wilson County but plans to in the near future. United plans to provide broadband Internet service to unconnected WC residents and businesses through use of either fiber optic cabling or fixed wireless services. United’s general technology plan is to deploy fiber Internet in WC and then interconnect the new local fiber optic lines to the ISP’s existing gigabit “backbone” fiber network. While technically possible, the M/U Partnership does not involve provisioning of United’s broadband Internet services over MTEMC’s copper wire based electric grid.

United notes that it will invest some upfront capital monies in expectation of future service subscriptions enabled by its broadband expansions. The M/U Partnership will also consider applications to Tennessee’s Broadband Accessibility Grant Program52 , the federal Connect America Fund53 and other public investment programs designed to bring broadband Internet and related technologies and services to underserved rural locations.

The M/U Partnership is “multi-year” in nature with no specific time schedules or completion dates yet announced.

Connect America Fund

To ensure that broadband Internet access is available to every U.S. resident and every region, federal and state governments have initiated various public infrastructure development grant programs. The FCC, for example, has taken a federal leadership role in developing and supporting the nation’s public broadband infrastructure.

High-speed Internet access, or broadband, is critical to economic opportunity, job creation, education, and civic engagement. But there are too many parts of this country where broadband is unavailable. In urban areas, 97% of Americans have access to highspeed fixed service. In rural areas, that number falls to 65%. The FCC has taken a number of steps to expand broadband across America, including establishment of the Connect America Fund54 .

Map 7: Rural Locations Eligible for CAF II Funding in Wilson County TN (dark areas)

Source: Federal Communications Commission

The Connect America Fund (CAF), also known as the Universal Service High-Cost program, is the FCC’s program to expand access to voice and broadband services for areas where they are unavailable. Through CAF Phase II, the FCC provides funding to local telephone companies55 to subsidize the cost of building new network infrastructure or performing network upgrades to provide voice and broadband service in areas where it is lacking. Companies that accept CAF Phase II support have six years to plan and provide broadband to consumers, although not every household is guaranteed access. The deploy-

52 See, for example, https://www.tn.gov/ecd/rural-development/tennessee-broadband-grant-initiative/tennessee-broadband-acc essibility-act-article.html 53 See, for example, https://www.fcc.gov/general/universal-service-high-cost-areas-connect-america-fund 54 Retrieved from https://www.fcc.gov/about-fcc/fcc-initiatives/bridging-digital-divide-all-americans . For general information on the Connect America Fund, see also https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/connect-america-fund-phase-ii-faqs . For an interesting article on public vs private carrier broadband funding, see https://www.fiercetelecom.com/special-report/at-t-frontier-others-accept1-5b-caf-ii-funding-despite-fcc-s-changing-broadband 55 Incumbent Local Exchange Providers in Wilson County include AT&T, DTC and TDS (2007).

ment schedule is determined by the service provider, not the FCC.

CAF Phase II funding is designed to ensure that consumers in rural, insular, and high-cost areas have access to modern communications networks capable of providing voice and broadband service, both fixed and mobile, at rates that are reasonably comparable to those in urban areas. Started in May 2015, and based on competitive bid proposals, CAF-II is a six year federal fund awarding 1.675 billion dollars annually. Map 7 depicts rural locations in Wilson County (shown in dark purple) which are eligible for CAF-II funding.

Reflecting most of Map 7’s eligible areas, Map 8 depicts 2015 CAF-II funded broadband rural areas (shown in blue) for Wilson County and surrounding regions. CAF-II funding in Tennessee was awarded to ISPs AT&T, Century Link and Frontier. AT&T was WC’s primary CAF-II funded ISP.

Map 8: CAF-II Broadband Build-Out Commitments in Wilson County TN, August 2015

Source: Federal Communications Commission

Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act

A complementary measure to the Connect America Fund, Tennessee state government announced in 2017 legislation to increase broadband access to Tennessee’s rural populace. The Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act of 2017, provides $45 million over three years in grants and tax credits for ISPs to assist in making broadband available to unserved homes and businesses. The plan also provided support to Tennessee’s private, nonprofit electric cooperatives to provide retail broadband service and make grant funding available to the state’s local libraries to help residents improve technology literacy56 .

The 2017 broadband Internet legislation impacted Wilson County through a first round funded ISP - DTC Communications, which received $1,725,000 from the broadband development program to serve parts of Smith and Wilson counties. Supported by the grant (which requires matching funds from the recipient), DTC announced plans to extend its fiber optic service area to underserved areas, including parts of WC near Watertown57 .

USDA’s ReConnect Loan and Grant Program

In March 2018, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, which established a new broadband loan and grant pilot program, now called the Rural eConnectivity Pilot Program (ReConnect Program). The Act appropriated a budget authority of $600,000,000 to be used on an expedited basis. The ReConnect program is a result of President Trump’s Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity established in April 2017 to identify legislative, regulatory, and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. The ReConnect Program offers unique federal financing and funding options in the form of loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in areas of rural America that don’t currently have sufficient access to broadband.

Interestingly, USDA’s ReConnect program defines “broadband” as 10 Mbps downstream and 1 Mbps upstream (10/1), different from the FCC’s 25/3 definition of broadband. The apparent end result of this access speed disparity is to reduce the number of general qualifying regions in the U.S. so as to better focus on rural areas with the greatest public IT infrastructure disadvantages.

Included among the first round of four successful awardees in Tennessee was a proposal submitted by United Communications Inc. requesting $3,287,500 in funding to deploy a fiber broadband network in rural Wilson, Rutherford, Williamson and Maury counties. The total funded service areas of the award include 2,716 households, and one critical commu-

56 “Gov. Haslam broadband plan offers $45M in grants, incentives”, Tennessean, January 26, 2017 57 See https://tnecd.com/news/haslam-rolfe-announce-nearly-10-million-in-grants-through-the-tennessee-broadband-accessibility -act/ See also, https://www.lebanondemocrat.com/article/utilities/

nity facility spread over 48 square miles. The total project cost is $6,575,000, which includes $3,287,500 in matching funds from the MTEMC-United Partnership. The Wilson County portion of the grant award is depicted in Map 9 and includes 445 households (about 1,125 residents), encompassing about 10.79 square miles of the county. The new fiber infrastructure may be in place as early as Spring 2121 of next year58 .

Map 9: USDA ReConnect Grant Award in Wilson County, 2020 Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Current and Future Outlook

Internet service in Wilson County is evolving on a par with the rest of the country. People and businesses residing in the county’s growing urban areas, Lebanon and Mt. Juliet in particular, are offered a variety of broadband Internet services from which to choose. There are, however, some servicing issues, fiber Internet availability for one, which all suburban/rural counties like WC must continue to work on.

Since ISPs usually operate as for-profit entities, it is not surprising that they would choose to first invest in “low hanging fruit” areas, i.e., densely populated urban centers with concentrations of potential customers. There is some understandable ISP hesitation in investing in more sparsely populated areas where the return on investment is less certain. Fortunately, government agencies - local, state and federal, have established cooperative broadband development programs to encourage ISPs to expand their high speed service areas into rural locales. Wilson County has participated in such programs and will undoubtedly continue to do so in the near future.

Physical Economy’s IT Pull

Public subsidies aside, Wilson County is fortunate to possess resources and circumstances that will help drive the development of its local public IT infrastructure.

While the Internet is a powerful economic engine in its own right, one cannot ignore the equally important role of the Internet in helping to facilitate physical commerce. In the nation’s traditional economy involving the manufacture and distribution of physical goods, physical supply chains must exist in order to bring materials and parts to the factory and then to distribute finished goods to end markets.

The nation’s supply chain industries, especially warehousing and transportation, are undergoing major IT-based structural improvements, incorporating such game-changing emerging technologies as GPS, RFID, inventory drones, autonomous vehicles, etc. These new tech enhancements to physical supply chains are radically empowering the downstream physical flows of raw materials, parts, and products with cost-reducing advanced upstream data and communications capabilities.

Wilson County is a strategically important midtransit location and facilitator of large supply chains59 in the nation’s physical economy. Hence, the county is a major regional draw to IT companies and Internet/cloud service providers that provide support to evolving national and global supply chains.

Notably, it is the customer end of corporate supply chains that is currently undergoing the greatest technological change. “E-commerce retail has become the fastest growing trade sector and has outpaced every other trade and manufacturing sector since 1999 As technology, e-commerce, and globalization become more intertwined, buyers and sellers are increasing their connectivity and the speed with which they conduct sales transactions.” 60

58 Sources: U.S. Department of Agriculture news release, February 13, 2020, Arcgis.com, and “USDA looks to boost county’s rural Internet with $3.3M grant”, p. 1, February 18-19, 2020, Lebanon Democrat. 59 See, for example, “Wilson County’s Supply Chain Industry,” Wilson County Trends, Spring 2019, pages 14-19. 60 “Economic impact of e-commerce” by Chris G. Christopher, Jr. , Supply Chain Quarterly, CSCMP, November 2019