Local government municipal fiber is critical to broadband deployment

Representatives of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors have been meeting with Federal Communications Commission staff to discuss the National Broadband Plan. NATOA is making ten points concerning the contribution of local government to broadband:

1) Broadband networks are essential elements to local government civic engagement and e-government.

2) Local government municipal fiber networks are critical to broadband deployment.

3) Municipal fiber networks provide services for local governments that the private sector is unable or unwilling to provide.

4) Continued local authority will encourage broadband deployment through franchising build-out, the spurring of private investment, and rights-of-way management.

5) The National Broadband Plan must include strong measures to protect public broadband initiatives from the many barriers they face such as state legislation, frivolous lawsuits, and anticompetitive incumbent behavior.

6) The National Broadband Plan should adopt policies to preserve existing local broadband networks and to enable the expansion of those networks.

7) The National Broadband Plan should adopt policies to enable the deployment of new local broadband networks.

8) Rights- of-way management must continue to occur at the local level to ensure that existing public and private infrastructure remains safe and also to allow for the provision of new competitive services.

9) Local governments must be permitted to obtain fair and reasonable compensation for the use of public rights-of-way.

10) The National Broadband Plan must preserve state and local land use and zoning authority over wireless siting.