Starting a Telecommunications Plan in Your Community

2 Broadband refers to the transmission via telecommunications of a large volume of data. For example, the FCC (2000) defines advanced telecommunications capability as “infrastructure capable of delivering a speed of 200 kilobits per second (Kbps) in each direction,” while the Commission denominates as “‘high-speed’ those services with over 200 Kbps capability in at least one direction.” Planning for telecommunications infrastructure investment is extremely important to promote economic development in rural communities. Since the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, many billions of dollars have been invested in advanced telecommunications systems to meet the growing demand for higher quality services, broadband capacity, and new services. Most of this private investment has been focused on urban and suburban areas because the telecommunications industry has some confidence that future demand in those areas will justify these investments.