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Leadership and Partnership Opportunities
Learn about planning resources and tips, effective leadership strategies, and how to build a successful partnership.
1
Determine the leadership and planning resources that are already available in Texas.
2
Find local champions and partners.
3
Research how surrounding areas are improving broadband access.
Most likely, one or more localities surrounding your community are also working toward universal coverage. Collaborating regionally is better, as larger projects save money, connect more people and score better in grant programs.
4
Contact every adjacent locality and learn more about their broadband efforts.
Public-private Partnerships
Public-private partnerships (P3s) are working relationships between public entities and a private sector company or investor that leverage respective core competencies and distribute the risks and rewards of broadband infrastructure projects.
As related to broadband projects in Texas, the Broadband Development Office encourages a public entity – city, county or special purpose district – to form a partnership with a private, commercial broadband provider to expand broadband access to as many citizens as possible.
In simple terms, a partnership means the local government entity builds community support, identifies its needs and offers its resources to the broadband provider to make broadband deployment more financially attractive to the provider. In return, the broadband provider brings its technical expertise, innovation, equipment and capital investment into under- or unserved areas in the community. In the end, both partners share the risks and costs of broadband deployment.
Local public entities
- Local, municipal, township and county governments
- Regional consortia of agencies and governments
- Regional and metropolitan planning agencies
- Economic development agencies
- Schools and libraries
- Utility districts
Public facilitation can bring about:
- Targeted processes and share data
- Permitting
- Access to existing assets: fiber, real estate, vertical assets and right of ways
- Community and stakeholder engagement, development planning and economic development
- Documentation and data sharing on easements and records, asset inventory and gap analysis
Private entities
- Incumbent internet service providers
- Smaller companies
- Consortia of private entities
- Fiber infrastructure providers
- Private equity and infrastructure investors
- Electric cooperatives and investor-owned utilities
Private facilitation can bring about:
- Commitment to address specific community needs
- Investment in priority areas
- Affordability and adoption commitments
- Long-term lease or ownership of conduit or dark fiber to public entities
Choosing a Service Provider
When choosing a good internet service provider (ISP) partner, communities should consider the ISP’s:
- Experience working with municipalities
- Financial strength
- Future-proof technology
- Fair recognition of municipal value
- Proximity to the community (your neighbor might be your best partner)
- Ability to collaborate and thus create economies of scale
Questions to ask before entering an ISP partnership
- Who pays for and owns the network? Drops? Extensions?
- Refreshes and upgrades — when, what standard, who pays?
- Performance regime — how to define, monitor, enforce technical and revenue performance
- Regulatory compliance — who’s responsible and what to do if things go wrong
- Supervening events — compensation, relief, force majeure, change in costs, changes of law, etc. Where do supply chain delays fit in?
Resources
- The Center for Alternative Financing and Procurement (CAP) at the Texas Facilites Commission (TFC): TFC public-private partnership guidelines (PDF)
Established in 2015, CAP facilitates public-private partnerships in the state. The mission of CAP is to consult with governmental entities regarding best practices for the procurement and financing of qualifying capital projects. This includes broadband expansion projects.
CAP can provide guidance on management best practices and connect partners with telecommunication industry experts and consultants.
- BroadbandUSA: Introduction to Effective Public-Private Partnerships
- Benton: Public-Private Partnerships Funded by NTIA's Broadband Infrastructure Program
Need assistance?
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