Examining the tradeoff between residential broadband service coverage and network connectivity using a bi-objective facility location model

The spatial distribution of current telecommunication infrastructures has led to the inequality of broadband access in residential areas. Addressing such inequality requires the consideration of many criteria that are often conflicting. In this paper, we focus on two important factors using a bi-objective model that maximizes the overall broadband coverage and the services quality as measured by network connectivity. This model is applied to the DSL services in Fairfield County, Ohio. We explore the tradeoffs among different facility location scenarios and discuss their implications to the location of residential broadband services. Resumen La distribucion espacial de la infraestructura de telecomunicaciones actual ha conllevado una desigualdad en el acceso a banda ancha en areas residenciales. El tratar dicha desigualdad requiere el considerar muchos criterios que a menudo estan en conflicto. En este articulo nos centramos en dos factores importantes utilizando un modelo biobjetivo que maximiza la cobertura en general de banda ancha y la calidad de servicios medidos mediante la conectividad de red. Este modelo se aplica a servicios de DSL en el condado de Fairfield, Ohio. Exploramos las ventajas relativas entre diferentes escenarios de localizacion de servicios y discutimos sus implicaciones en la localizacion de servicios residenciales de banda ancha.