The US-CCA FAQs

Q. What's all this about a 'fifth utility'?

A. We believe that having a broadband communications infrastructure has become as critically important to the future of communities as the existing utilities of water, sewer, electricity, and telephone. Whether it is commerce, entertainment, education, or public services, communities now rely on a communications infrastructure that can't be easily described because there are no standards for doing so. US-CCA proposes that broadband access be identified for its network capabilities. These capabilities would describe not only raw speed, but also standards for home wiring, wireless capabilities, and even how right-of-ways and easements are classified.

Q. Why communities?

A. We believe that communities are where people identify their goals for broadband access, and what communications strengths mean to the community. Communities often have a patchwork of connectivity, both in the private, public, and municipal applications. US-CCA is trying to develop standards based on factors like bandwidth availability, what standards or recommendations should be used in new residential and commercial construction, and how communities can connect areas together, both new and current.

Q. How are these standards made?

A. Some communities have started to make their own standards, some successfully, others less so. Communities like Loma Linda, California, use a standards-referential model that places IEEE, ANSI, TIA, BiCSi, and other well-known and defined standards together in building codes, so that the integrity of their model can be easily traced. The resulting codes provide referential models to communities of many sizes and with a variety of legacy infrastructures, so that public, and public-private standards can be set as goals to achieve within US-CCA models. This then allows communities to be identified for their commitment to standards-based (and auditable) asset deployments. These standards also serve as a documenting model so that public services and utilities can understand how to both extend the models, and fix things when things go wrong.

Q. Why do create such standards?

A. Broadband services are increasing, and new applications for them, such as IPTV, Voice-over-IP, and online educational pursuits are putting pressure on communities to provide accessibility with the speeds necessary to make these services work. Leaving broadband to private companies is well and good, and many of these firms are willing to work with cities to bring standard denominators of speed and reliability when they know that adoption rates will be high. This allows a payback for both vendors, utilities, municipalities, and most importantly community members. Many communities are discovering the value of building a high-speed communications infrastructure as a community owned utility. The US-CCA was formed to help communities identify the goals, find models that work, deploy, and get the enjoyment of reliable broadband infrastructure.

Q. What does the US-CCA do for its members?

A. US-CCA brings ideas, reference models, ideas, concepts, and education to our members, as well as an opportunity to sit across the table and discuss how to make community broadband a working asset for themselves. We bring together visionary community leaders, mayors, economic development officers, chambers, and the vendor community to build standards-based community networks.

Q. How do I join?

A. Check out the Membership page and Contact us at membership@us-cca.org. We'll send details.