Next Century Cities Mayors Oppose Anti-Municipal Broadband Decision

Forty-two mayors and city leaders have sent letters of support to Chattanooga (TN) Mayor Andy Berke and Wilson (NC) Mayor Bruce Rose, who are advocating to overturn an anti-municipal broadband decision made by the US Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. The decision put a halt to an Federal Communications Commission ruling that would have preempted recently enacted legislation in NC and Tennessee that prohibits municipalities from creating publicly owned and operated broadband networks.

The mayors are members of the Next Century Cities association of public and private sector organizations, whose primary aims include providing affordable broadband access in cities and towns throughout the US. “As mayors and municipal leaders, we know that there is no single best solution for supporting connectivity in our communities,” they state in the letter. “While our paths vary, we are united by our commitment to competition and the right of self-determination for all our communities, free from interference."