Virginia Strips Anti-Community Broadband Language From Bill Virginia Delegate Kathy Byron has completely pulled controversial anti-municipal broadband language from HB 2108, aka the Virginia Broadband Deployment Act. We'd been noting how Byron, who takes ample cash from large telecom providers, had written the bill specifically to hamstring local communities looking to improve their broadband infrastructure. After taking ample heat from citizens, Byron softened the bill once, then this week removed all anti-municipal broadband language from the bill entirely as it heads to the State Senate: quote: Localities and municipal broadband entities across the state widely criticized Byron’s original bill because of provisions that could keep local broadband entities from expanding and stipulation that municipal networks should focus on “unserved” populations.After revisions, the Roanoke broadband authority still had concerns with Byron’s amended broadband bill that focused on additional transparency requirements for municipal broadband entities. The Roanoke authority was concerned the changes would require the release of trade secrets or proprietary information of its organization or its customers because of Freedom of Information requirements. With that language gone it's not entirely clear what the bill even does or why it's needed at all, the regional broadband authority stating the bill simply reiterates what's "already codified in law." Virginia Beach Senator Frank Wagner tells With that language gone it's not entirely clear what the billor why it's needed at all, the regional broadband authority stating the bill simply reiterates what's "already codified in law." Virginia Beach Senator Frank Wagner tells The News & Advance that the repeatedly slimmed-down bill now "doesn’t impact anything, really; it just provides more information to folks."







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Zenit

The system is the solution

Premium Member

join:2012-05-07

Purcellville, VA 9 recommendations Zenit Premium Member It now does 1 good thing. The bill is now better. It always had a requirement that if a provider (let's say Verizon) wants to abandon service to an area they must sell or spin off the fixed asset; they can't just drop you completely.



I don't have time to read the new bill this morning. If that clause is still in it minus all the icky anti muni language then it's a bill that serves a purpose - stopping providers from dropping people completely.



The anti-abandonment clause wasn't enough to make up for the overall terrible nature of the bill. But if the negative parts are indeed gone then it at least affirms that providers can't leave you hanging if you have service.