Gov. Haslam unveils Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act

More rural Tennesseans will have access to reliable broadband services through state tax breaks or grants, "deregulation" and consumer education, Gov. Bill Haslam said in introducing the latest plank of his legislative agenda. "Unfortunately today, too many of our citizens are without broadband access. In fact, 34 percent of our rural residents do not have broadband access at recognized minimum standards," Gov Haslam said. Haslam spokeswoman Jennifer Donnals said the 34 percent figure represents about 725,000 people.

The announcement of the plan, officially known as the "Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act," comes after more than a year of meeting with state leaders and "stakeholders," Gov Haslam said. Expanding broadband is not new to Tennessee or other rural states, and has been hotly debated in the past. That includes an ongoing debate in Chattanooga and elsewhere over whether municipal providers – cities and counties – should be allowed to provide service outside of their borders.