Community Broadband Action Network

Communities Unlimited’s Blueprint for Connectivity

The podcast spotlights Communities Unlimited, a 50‑year‑old nonprofit that now runs a broadband program across seven Southern states. Leveraging USDA technical‑assistance grants, the organization delivers two‑year planning projects that begin with data collection, produce detailed assessments, and then help communities execute recommendations—all at no cost to the towns. Key activities include mapping broadband access, educating local leaders on the economics of rural deployment, and providing on‑call consulting that replaces expensive private firms. A distinctive service is GIS‑based water‑asset mapping, which safeguards underground fiber projects—critical as the program prepares to lay over 52,000 miles of buried fiber in under‑served areas. Examples illustrate the model’s impact: a meeting of just seven residents represented 30 % of a town’s population, and monthly webinars have equipped dozens of officials with grant‑writing skills. The shift toward stronger ISP‑community ties, driven by funding requirements, is reducing deployment friction and improving adoption rates. For rural America, this approach accelerates connectivity, lowers construction risks, and builds local capacity, positioning these communities for broader economic and social benefits.