In January of this year, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced the formation of the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC), with the aim of providing recommendations for the commission on how to rapidly deploy high-speed Internet access. San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo has been named vice chair for the Model Code for Municipalities team, which will work on a regulatory model for other cities across the U.S. in regards to installing infrastructure.
The committee will be focused on four priorities:
- ensuring that local residents retain control over city infrastructure that they paid for;
- advancing digital inclusion and affordable broadband access;
- facilitating the deployment of broadband service with increased bandwidth at gigabit speeds;, and
- providing local governments with increased knowledge capital to manage the demands of broadband deployment.
The five teams are:
Model Code for Municipalities
Chair: Douglas Dimitroff, New York State Wireless Association
Vice Chair: Sam Liccardo, Mayor of San Jose, California
Model Code for States:
Chair: Kelly McGriff, Southern Light
Vice Chair: Karen Charles Peterson, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable
Competitive Access to Broadband Infrastructure
Chair: Ken Simon, Crown Castle
Vice Chair: Brent Skorup, Mercatus Center at George Mason University
Removing State and Local Regulatory Barriers
Chair: Robert DeBroux, TDS Telecom
Vice Chair: Kim Keenan, Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council
Streamlining Federal Siting
Chair: Jonathan Adelstein, Wireless Infrastructure Association
Vice Chair: Valerie Fast Horse, Coeur d’Alene Tribe
“In San Jose, the largest city in Silicon Valley and home to the most innovative companies in the country, we are keenly aware of the critical role that broadband deployment plays in supporting innovation, economic growth and opportunity,” Liccardo said. “I thank Chairman (Ajit) Pai for this appointment and look forward to advocating on behalf of all U.S. cities as we continue to embrace the opportunities and challenges of deploying broadband infrastructure in our communities.”
