Municipal Broadband Is Restricted In 18 States Across The US In 2021

Municipal broadband has been obstructed in many states over the years. There are currently 18 states in total that have restrictive legislation against municipal broadband networks in the US. 

• 18 states have restrictive legislation in place that make establishing community broadband prohibitively difficult.
• Five additional states (Iowa, Arkansas, Colorado, Oregon, and Wyoming) have other types of roadblocks in place that make establishing networks more difficult than it needs to be.
• A further five states (Arkansas, Idaho, Tennessee, Washington, and Montana) have introduced bills to remove municipal broadband restrictions so far this year. Montana’s bill has failed, while Arkansas’ passed in February.