Despite sporadic pledges and years of subsidies, the last mile of the broadband superhighway has failed to reach many U.S. country roads. Some 18 million to 36 million Americans currently lack broadband, creating a troubling rural digital divide.
Digital twins of broadband network infrastructure could change that by helping teams better understand costs and effectively prioritize sales efforts, Connected2Fiber CEO Ben Edmond told VentureBeat. His company is helping broadband providers create digital twins that use location-based data to align network construction with business opportunities.
“By digitizing the planning, the blueprint, and the execution of those projects, the industry will improve how the money is flowing,” Edmond said.
The stakes are high. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has allocated $9.2 billion for rural buildouts over the next 10 years. A second phase promises an additional $11 billion in subsidies.
+INFO: Venture Beat
