Belgium's Plan To Connect the Disconnected
Alexander De Croo, Minister of Telecom, has been diligently advancing his Digital Agenda. He is now examining how to connect municipalities that have been “left behind”.
The Minister has identified 39 municipalities (link). Not only will the Minister's project benefit those 39 municipalities, it will also serve as an inspiration for any other municipalities that desire to take control of their own destiny.
I am inserting my voice in this conversation because I believe that it must revolve around a few key points.
Connectivity is an Enabler
Team at MuniNetworks has put together a great video highlighting some of the benefits of a robust network infrastructure.
Essential infrastructure is build with the future in mind. When I want to use my toaster I don't turn off the lights nor unplug my fridge. There is more than enough electricity flowing in to my home.
When rebutting the question of what application possibly justifies a gigabit connection?
A single car does not need a 3-lane highway. Highways are designed for peak traffic. And so should our Internet networks.
He touches on the synergy between applications and their underlying networks. Essentially, better networks means better applications.
He also points out that “most of us could get by with 100 Mbps symmetrical connection, but the cost to build that network is basically the same of building a gig. We should think big.”
Control Your Destiny
At the age of railroads, municipalities decided or not to welcome the train. The ones who did not vanished. Broadband is undergoing a similar inflection point. The difference is that when it comes to broadband, a municipality can control its destiny. A municipality depends on no company. It can:
- build its own infrastructure AND operate it
- build and operate it with a concession model or renting model
- or it can simply finance the building of it
Building and operating networks is a much more lightweight and agile process than what it used to be just 10 years ago.
Highest Paid Jobs are IT Jobs
The Internet has changed everything. The top 5 companies are children of or enablers of Internet. Apple, Alphabet (née Google), Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook. They are ever hungry for more talent no matter where they are.
The Internet has decentralized the way companies collaborate. The heydays of cubic farms are behind us. Modern companies understand that talent can be located anywhere and they do not to be physically together in order to collaborate. The crew at Basecamp has done wonders to popularize working remote.
For municipalities do not get those jobs unless you have a robust broadband infrastructure.
Retaining the Youth
Over the course of the last century, the world's population has migrated to its large metropolitan areas. The youth always goes first. Looking for jobs, for novelty, for the future. Municipalities must compete with that gravitational pull. Luckly the Internet has created a counter movement pulling these youth back. For example, some of my favorite YouTubers — the Vlog Brothers, Smarter Every Day, Minute Physics — are located in non-metropolitan areas.
Whichever arguments, models, or technology win the day, it is clear: a connected commune is the way of the future.
