Local broadband limits go to North Carolina Gov Perdue

North Carolina lawmakers have sent Gov Bev Purdue (D-NC) a measure limiting local governments’ ability to set up public broadband networks. The bill, H129, sets a higher bar for municipalities who want to get into the broadband business. If a private provider offers service to half the residents of an area, local officials would have to hold public hearings and a special election to get voter approval for any debt to build a broadband system. They would be barred from using revenue from other public utilities to subsidize the service, or from finding some other way to price the service below its actual cost. The measure also strictly limits the expansion of existing municipal broadband services, including Wilson’s Greenlight, which offers far faster speeds than most commercial systems in the state. The measure passed its final House vote 84-32, with 19 Democrats joining the entire Republican caucus in supporting it. It now goes to the governor, who hasn't yet indicated whether she'll sign it.