6.2. ERMUSR 02-12-2019 - Laserfiche WebLink

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,VIIVIW11111111111012V Position Statement Funding for Border to Border Broadband Background governments and joint power entities to help offset the Efforts to spur the placing of necessary infrastructure cost of building a border-to-border broadband system. to ensure access to high-speed internet service in all parts of the State has been a long-term, underfunded The number and total value of requests has far effort for several years, dependent on small amounts exceeded the limited resources provided by the State. of State funding to provide matching grants to telecommunication providers willing to invest in Border-to-Border broadband is essential for the providing high-speed broad-band service to unserved economic viability of many rural communities. and underserved communities across the State. It is time to provide on-going and reliable funding for the Requested Action Border-to-Border Broadband program. MMUA supports and recommends the adoption of HF 7, which would create a permanent source of funding Current Status by including border-to-border broadband as an ongoing The House and Senate majority has made long-term budget item under DEED's biennial budget.Additional and sufficient funding for border-to-border broadband revenues should also be made available to enable one of their respective top 10 missions for the 2019 immediate efforts that have languished in recent years legislative session. due to the underfunding of this essential program. For the past several years the Legislature has provided limited bond funds for matching grants to local „ ,Ii1 — . to ' '+G __ ... .. ice MCC. rulwt ` lni,.. . ., .To:::7,t,:;:ii:::::[.........,ir::,friiii,., -.1f.t: r xal 7 . 1 `t ' ! ' it Q gip. 4.;;iq. v Engineer working on Optical Consolidation Rack equipment that brings together thousands of fibre optic cables and helps connect them up to a main arterial network. 6/2019 State Position Statements 110