Google is also pushing for legislation that would require dark fiber as part of government construction projects, which would slow carrier infrastructure upgrade plans.
On the regulatory front, the FCC recently announced its US universal broadband service goal -- 4 Mbps by 2020, which is modest compared with other countries but is designed to protect net neutrality. In a surprising move, the FCC is now claiming the authority to regulate broadband to ensure that enough people have access to high-speed services.
When doing a capacity planning analysis, issues that could affect broadband infrastructure sharing and net neutrality are of particular importance because they can affect not only the gross margins obtained for service (wholesale versus retail pricing for shared infrastructure) but also the expectations on broadband capacity and service quality. It's important to be objective in both areas, since bad assumptions will lead to bad plans and a bad outcome.
Tom Nolle is president of CIMI Corporation
This article originally appeared in SearchTelecom.com