Public Knowledge Supports Sen Booker’s Community Broadband Act

We are grateful that Sen Booker and others are taking a strong lead promoting the ability for localities to choose their own destiny by creating economic development projects for high-speed broadband.

These decisions belong at the local level, and this bill ensures that communities are empowered to make their own decisions about their own tax dollars, and assume their own risk in developing projects. Many local officials turn to public-private broadband partnerships or full public projects as a last resort when incumbent private providers cannot or will not deploy high-speed networks in their communities. This bill recognizes the need to ensure that private broadband providers have a chance to offer services before millions are invested by communities. The bill also promotes transparent public decision-making before these choices are finalized. Broadband deployment is an expensive endeavor, and local voters deserve to know the risks and benefits of projects before their communities commit to them. Most importantly, they deserve the power to choose how to invest in their own economic development.