Press Release
of
Senator Lautenberg
Lautenberg Introduces Community Broadband Act of 2007
NJ Sen. Joined By Sens. Smith, Kerry, McCain, McCaskill and Snowe In Effort To Foster Universal, Affordable Broadband Access
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) today introduced legislation to help make broadband access universal and affordable across the country. The measure would promote economic development, enhance public safety, and increase educational opportunities by removing barriers that prevent cities and towns from offering broadband services to their residents.
“Broadband access should be universal and affordable,” said Sen. Lautenberg. “Universal broadband access would promote economic development, enhance public safety and increase educational opportunities for millions of Americans across the country. Towns and cities across the country are offering fast, affordable Internet, and states should be encouraging these initiatives, not hindering them.”
A recent study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development shows that the United States ranks 15th worldwide in terms of people with broadband access. The countries that outrank the U.S. have relied in part on municipal broadband networks. Fourteen states in the U.S. have passed legislation to prohibit or restrict local municipalities and communities from offering high-speed broadband access to residents.
Sen. Lautenberg’s measure – known as the “Community Broadband Act of 2007” – stipulates that states cannot prohibit a municipality from offering broadband to its residents, and that a municipality that is a provider cannot discriminate against private competitors.
The measure:
- Sets forth that no state regulation or requirement shall prevent a public provider from offering broadband services;
- Prohibits a municipality from discriminating against competing private providers;
- Requires a municipality offering high-speed Internet services to comply with Federal telecommunications law or regulation that applies to all such providers;
- Encourages public-private partnerships and;
- Provides the public with notice and an opportunity to be heard before a municipality provides broadband to the public.
The measure also is sponsored by Sens. Gordon Smith (R-OR), John Kerry (D-MA), John McCain (R-AZ), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), and Olympia Snowe (R-ME).
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