5.4. ERMUSR 03-20-2007 - Laserfiche WebLink

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of state prohibitions. In the 110th Congress, Senators Lautenberg (D-NJ) and McCain (R- A7) plan to reintroduce, with minor changes, their Community Broadband Act (S. 1294 from the 109t.h Congress). The essential language in S. 1294 was rolled into the major Senate telecomrnunications bill (the Communications, Consumer's Choice, and Broadband DeployTrrent Act of 2006) passed by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee last year. The ne~v Lautenberg-McCain bill will be the vehicle for action in the Senate on municipal broadband -whether considered as a stand-alone bill or rolled into broader legislation. As Congress continues to debate important policy issues such as broadband deployment, competition in the communications marketplace, and VoIP, in the 110th Congress, it should recognize the important role that local governments, including those that also own their electric utility, can play in achieving the goal of universal broadband deployment. Because of state actions mentioned above to limit or prohibit public power systems from providing advanced communications services, Congress must adopt legislation that affirms the right of units of local government to decide how best to serve their residents. Units of local government -and in particular communities that also ov`~r their own electric utility -can play a positive role in enhancing their communities through providing communications services, particularly high-bandwidth broadband services. APPA supports federal legislation, such as that included in S. 1294 in the 109th Congress, that protect the ability of municipalities to provide advanced communications services. APPA opposes any federal legislation that would prohibitor restrict the ability of public power systems to provide advanced communications ser~rices or require public power systems to get the permission of incumbent communications companies to pro~~de such sen~ices. ? www.APPAnet.orq