NATOA Praises FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn on Municipal Network Stance
April 4, 2011 2:43 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Alexandria, VA - (April 4, 2011) The National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) thanks FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn for taking a public stance in support of municipal broadband networks and against misguided legislative initiatives that would prevent local governments from providing broadband services to meet the needs of their communities. “Commissioner Clyburn once again shows her commitment to ensuring broadband is available to every American and all community anchors, such as schools and libraries, across our nation,” said NATOA President Ken Fellman. “She recognizes that anti-municipal network legislation is a significant barrier to broadband deployment and will hurt economic development.”
“These anti-competitive bills, usually written by monopolist companies, will serve only to widen the digital divide in communities where broadband services are either unavailable or fail to meet the needs of local businesses and residents,” added NATOA President-Elect Joanne Hovis. “Commissioner Clyburn hit the nail on the head by declaring that these bills totally ignore the specific recommendation of the National Broadband Plan that state, local and regional governments be permitted to build their own networks. As a result, many communities will be unable to provide the educational, health, and public safety services needed today and in the future.”