Communications Workers of America Launches Multi-State Effort to Regulate Broadband, Close Digital Divide

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) launched an ambitious multi-state effort to pass state legislation that would establish public utility commission oversight of broadband in public safety, network resiliency and consumer protection. Legislation has already been introduced in California, Colorado, and New York, and CWA is in active conversations with policymakers in state houses across the country about its model bill, the Broadband Resiliency, Public Safety and Quality Act. CWA’s state legislative initiative complements President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan by ensuring that there will be public oversight over this critical infrastructure deployment. Benton Institute Senior Fellow and Public Advocate Gigi Sohn said, "Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has made abundantly clear that broadband is essential infrastructure, it's time for states to take back that authority. I wholeheartedly support CWA’s initiative to convince states to reassert their authority over broadband and Voice over IP services.”