Page 14 - Tennessee811

Taking a BEAD on a Better Broadband System
A813M in Federal Funding will Continue TN’s High-Speed Internet Growth
bout the time Tennessee
811 President/CEO William Turner was getting involved in one-call systems and utility
protection, a new term, “internet,” was being bandied about. Now, nearly 40 years later, Turner is helping Tennesseans have better access to broadband telecommunications – or high-speed internet.
Tennessee 811, which Turner has led since 1993, is the state’s official advance notification service for underground utility lines. Construction personnel and homeowners utilize Tennessee 811 by contacting the call service prior to onsite activity so underground facility operators can mark utility locations – which allows safer digging and less of an opportunity for buried utilities to be damaged. While the nation’s 811 services have increased in recent years because of the expansion of broadband internet, Turner is preparing for even busier times at Tennessee 811.
The reason? The Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program.
Part of the federal Infrastructure million tickets,” Turner said. Though Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) – which mentioning the difficulty in determining is providing Tennessee $6.2 billion for how many dig requests were for highway improvements over five years installing broadband, Turner estimates – BEAD is the nation’s $42.5-billion up to 15% of that nearly 4-million ticket
grant program to expand high-
speed internet. According to the U.S. government’s Internet For All website (www.internetforall.gov.), the goal for BEAD is to “get all Americans online by funding partnerships between states or territories, communities and stakeholders to build infrastructure where we need it and to increase
“Every dollar
invested in
broadband
returns
nearly $4 to
the economy.” Trust Magazine
adoption of high-speed internet.” Tennessee can expect more than $813 million in BEAD funding.
And with all that expected BEAD funding, Turner and Tennessee 811
are ready for the uptick in service requests. “We have a responsibility
to adapt to the needs of the industry and to provide a reliable service that lays the groundwork for safe and damage-free excavation,” Turner said. “... We work hard to maintain adequate staffing in our contact center, to create opportunities for education in the field and to fill in any other gaps where
we can enhance communication and coordination efforts.”
Tennessee 811’s call center handles approximately 1 million dig notifications annually. “From 2020 to now (through October 2023), we’ve processed 3.96
volume was broadband work.
Super Highways to Super Highway
Just as the nation’s reliance on a strong transportation system has occurred over the past 70 years with the advent of the U.S. Interstate System, the same is true for an increased reliance on broadband communications. According to the Internet For All government website, “The Internet is the Backbone of Today’s World.” Statistics from zippia. com backs that claim, as it reports
that more than six of 10 humans in the world are active internet users; in the U.S., 93% of the population utilizes the internet.
Growing use and dependence on the internet has made access to high- speed internet not only a luxury but
a necessity. Regarding broadband, Internet For All claims, “It helps our country. It saves us time and money. It creates jobs and opportunities ... And it helps us connect to one another, building a stronger, more free society.”
Despite its importance, one in five (20%) U.S. households don’t have the infrastructure in-place to be connected to the internet. This inability, of more than 24 million U.S. homes not having internet service – let alone broadband internet – prompted the BEAD Program.
BEAD funding can be utilized by states to:
• Plan for the deployment of high- speed internet, including conducting research, collecting data, outreach and training
• Deploy or upgrade internet in unserved and underserved areas or improve service to community anchor organizations
• Install internet and Wi-Fi in multi- unit residential buildings
12 • Tennessee811
2024, Issue 3