Community broadband isn’t about following a specific business or technical model – it’s about the people who will eventually use the network and be responsible for making it work. It’s also being open to technology and what it can do to further community-specific goals. In short, it’s about the community.

But to be successful, community initiatives need to engage community stakeholders in creating, managing and deriving value from the proposed network. Successful initiatives also require a focus in the following key areas:

Strong leadership with more than one identified champion

Someone needs to step up and take ownership of the program being developed in his/her community. But what kind of leadership works best? What kind of champions should take the reins? The Knight Center of Digital Excellence is a proponent of local leadership. Our Connected Communities Team works collectively with organizations across the nation applying hundreds of combined years of experience serving their local communities. It’s fundamental that any program is rooted in strong local leadership. After all, who better to structure and drive the success of a plan designed to further community-specific goals?

A vision and cause that community can rally around

What do all projects have in common? They require a significant investment in time and money. While these resources can and should be obtained from numerous sources, it’s the community that will provide the biggest push in ultimately making the network sustainable. To have committed community support, there needs to be a vision that proves to the community why the proposed network has value.

Technology plan aligned with community plan

This is a development stage process. The technical needs of the project have to match the community’s needs and the applications proposed.

A broad spectrum of engagement and adoption

Engagement and adoption are key to future network sustainability because they integrate applications into the fabric of the community. While the approach depends on the demographics of the community, outreach programs need to be broad-based and include all groups – that means everyone from government agencies to nonprofit organizations and vendors.

Solid buy-in from all stakeholders

It may not seem like it, but it’s a large leap for interested individuals or entities to become stakeholders. Our Connected Communities Team has had tremendous success in developing working groups in multiple communities regarding community broadband initiatives. Working groups offer interested parties get a chance to contribute and have their voices heard, giving them a sense of ownership from the start of the project. They also allow those participating to select the topic that interests them while fostering relationships with other potential stakeholders. In addition, working groups help drive the conversion from interested party to stakeholder. In essence, they create a win-win scenario for stakeholders to see the network as it benefits the whole rather than how it simply benefits their individual organization. Thinking truly changes from a “me” to “we” perspective.

Financial wherewithal

To ensure success, a strong business model needs to be in place that has a clear-cut financial plan and indicates the key investors and other sustainable resources.

Functional, workable governance

Governance can evolve over time to become sustainable and consistent if those involved at the top level ensure solid communication among organizations. Remember, sustainable governance is community-driven.