Nevada needs to fast-track steps to securing broadband access

Ken Wiles

Saturday, July 6, 2013 | 2 a.m.

Now more than ever, the Internet can play an increasingly prominent role in public safety. But if Nevada doesn’t improve its broadband connectivity, the state will miss out on critical services.

New Internet-based technologies, such as my company’s AlertID, are providing more opportunities for people to stay informed and connected. Today, anyone with a smartphone can receive email alerts directly from their neighbors about suspicious activity in the community. By creating a virtual community watch, neighborhoods are now safer and crime rates are dramatically reduced.

Users of applications such as AlertID can also rapidly send tips to police with the push of a button. Imagine seeing a suspicious package left on the street. Now you can send a picture directly to the authorities right from your phone. In addition to knowing there may be a life-threatening situation, the photographic evidence could save the police valuable time in the initial moments of an investigation.

The public also benefits greatly from easy-to-search and updated databases that are now housed on an app that is instantly available in your pocket. People concerned that a sex offender might live in a place they are visiting can access a map with the information and find out immediately.

And updates about natural disasters can now be quickly disseminated through email alerts. At a time when devastating tornadoes are hitting many of our fellow Americans, it is all too apparent how important even a few seconds can be in knowing that a disaster is about to strike.

Considering the era we live in — when extreme weather events and mass shootings are becoming more common — we need to do everything we can to ensure all our citizens are safe. Whether someone lives in the most rural parts of our state or the biggest city, they must have the high-speed broadband access that allows them to benefit from apps such as AlertID and other online public safety tools.

In Nevada, there is much to be done to achieve the goal of universal broadband access. Nearly half of Nevada’s counties still don’t have broadband penetration of even 90 percent. In White Pine County, less than one-quarter of the population has access to broadband speeds of 3 megabits per second (Mbps).

Speeds this slow make it next to impossible to get the timely information one might need in an emergency. The last thing someone can afford during a crisis is to wait for their dial-up connection to get on the Internet.

To close the remaining digital divide in Nevada, we must encourage further investment in broadband infrastructure. The best way to do this is for government to continue the light-touch regulatory policies that have already made the U.S. a worldwide leader in broadband connectivity.

Since 1996, thanks to the government’s approach to the Internet, private companies have invested more than $1.2 trillion to develop and upgrade wired and wireless broadband infrastructure across the country. Now, more than 80 percent of U.S. homes have access to the fastest speeds of 100 Mbps, meaning they can get essential information in seconds.

It is imperative that the government maintains its light-touch regulatory approach so the necessary investment continues and all our citizens can gain access to the fastest broadband speeds possible. Only then will we be able to feel secure in knowing that all our neighbors have the most up-to-date tools available to safeguard their families.

Ken Wiles is the CEO of AlertID, which has offices in Las Vegas and Palo Alto, Calif.