Can Dig-Once Policies Hasten the Close of the Digital Divide?
“Dig once” suggests that it makes more sense to lay the groundwork for broadband expansion through larger transportation projects. But should this forward-thinking idea be mandated or considered a best practice? Shutterstock/Fahroni
As local areas and states keep slugging away at the digital divide, time and money may separate the winners from the losers in the broadband infrastructure game. One potential way to save time and money is through a “dig-once” approach, which refers to the idea of minimizing “the number and scale of excavations when installing telecommunications infrastructure in highway rights-of-way,” according to the Federal Highway Administration.