6.1. ERMUSR 03-09-2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Background Securing a modern, affordable tele- communications infrastructure is criti- cal for economic growth in the 21st century. Unfortunately, some areas in Minnesota are without this infrastruc- ture and suffer from unreliable, slow, or expensive telecom services. Studies by the International Telecom- munications Union show that the U.S. is falling behind other industrial- ized countries in the deployment of broadband communications services. A key factor is the lack of a national broadband policy. Past Congresses have attempted to address this issue through legislation, and MMUA urges Congress to adopt pro-competition and pro-consumer policies such as those championed by the US Broad- band Coalition that will foster the deployment of broadband delivery systems by any entity willing to do so, including municipalities and public power systems. Why municipal telecommunications? Municipal utilities are at the cutting edge of providing broadband technol- ogy service in Minnesota and across the nation by offering a variety of wireless, DSL, broadband power line and fiber optic broadband services. Municipal utilities with modern tele- communications capabilities will be able to: • keep customer savings in the community, where further economic activity is spurred; • provide a wide variety of other public purposes that citizens demand; and entities are simply responding to the demands of their community by providing services that were often expensive, inadequate, or even non- existent. Unfortunately, in some areas of the country, communities have been restricted or even prohibited from of- fering such services. Municipal Telecommunications Services Over 700 public power systems across • improve the efficiency of the city the country now offer some form of and other local government telecommunications services, several institutions; of them in Minnesota. These local • drive economic development by close the "digital gap" that exists in Congress acknowledged this disparity serving existing business and many areas. more than 10 years ago. The Telecom- industry and by attracting new ones; munications Act of 1996 provides