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2010 APPA Legislative Rally liey Message Points <br />and policy changes to enhance rail competition at the <br />Surface Transportation Board (STB). APPA also sup- <br />ports legislation to remove the antitrust exemption for <br />the railroads. <br />Support the Ability of Public Power Systems <br />To Offer Advanced Communications Services <br />Given the community benefits of advanced communica- <br />tions services provided by public power systems across <br />the country, including enhanced economic develop- <br />ment opportunities, Congress should prohibit the states <br />from creating barriers to the ability of public power sys- <br />tems to offer these sei~~ices by enacting the Community <br />Broadband. In addition, in the American Recovery and <br />Reinvestment Act (or Stimulus Bill), Congress included <br />a provision requiring the Federal Communications <br />Commission (FCC) to develop and deliver to Congress <br />within one year a report containing a national broad- <br />band plan. This plan seeks to ensure that every Atneri- <br />can has access to broadband capability and establishes <br />clear benchmarks for meeting that goal. While this doc- <br />ument does not make legislative changes, its recom- <br />mendations will likely serve as the framework for a <br />large telecom bill in Congress. One of the recommen- <br />dations expected to be included in the plan will be the <br />removal of exemptions from federal pole attachment <br />regtilation for public power systems and place it under <br />the jurisdiction of the FCC. APPA opposes any recom- <br />mendations or legislative efforts to remove this exemp- <br />tion for public power entities as it would have the effect <br />of hampering broadband expansion in public power <br />communities. <br />www.APPAnet.org <br />