SHLB Coalition Urges States to Team With Anchor Institutions

States and territories should connect anchor institutions to gigabit broadband and include them in planning for broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) funding, the Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition said. Also in a Wednesday memo to state and territory leaders, the coalition urged broadband leaders to broaden their definitions of community anchor institution to include nontraditional entities like prisons and ranger state. “By including anchor institutions, fostering transparency, resolving pole attachment disputes, and considering innovative solutions such as open access, we can bridge the connectivity gap and pave the way for a more equitable and connected future for all,” SHLB Coalition Executive Director John Windhausen said in a news release. Kansas Broadband Development Director Jade Piros de Carvalho said anchor institutions will be important partners in closing her state’s digital divide.