CLIC Announces Strong Support for 2 TN Bills to Remove Restrictions on Muni and Co-Op Broadband Networks

On March 6, 2017, the Coalition for Local Internet Choice and 14 prominent public and private-sector companies and organizations announced strong support for two Tennessee bills, HB970 (SB1058) and HB1410 (SB1045) that will authorize municipal electric utilities and cooperatives to finally serve many currently unserved or underserved rural businesses and citizens.

According to the CLIC letters of support, these bills will not only remove barriers, but will also incentivize public-private network deployments. In separate letters to the House and Senate committees, CLIC and fellow co-signers note how municipalities and cooperatives in Tennessee have been subject to legislatively imposed barriers for too long. These barriers have harmed both the public and private sectors by retarding or delaying economic growth, preventing the creation or retention of jobs around the State, particularly in rural areas, hampering workforce development, and diminishing the quality of life in Tennessee.