Minnesota this week eliminated two laws that made it harder for cities and towns to build their own broadband networks.
But the list has gotten smaller in recent years because states including Arkansas, Colorado, and Washington repealed laws that hindered municipal broadband.
The Minnesota bill enacted this week struck down a requirement that municipal telecommunications networks be approved in an election with 65 percent of the vote.
The caveat that prevented municipalities from competing against private providers was eliminated from the law when this week’s omnibus bill was passed.
As a result, the law now lets cities and towns “improve, construct, extend, and maintain facilities for Internet access and other communications purposes” even if private ISPs already offer service.
With Minnesota having repealed its anti-municipal broadband laws, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance says that 16 states still restrict the building of municipal networks.
The original article contains 558 words, the summary contains 143 words. Saved 74%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Minnesota this week eliminated two laws that made it harder for cities and towns to build their own broadband networks.
But the list has gotten smaller in recent years because states including Arkansas, Colorado, and Washington repealed laws that hindered municipal broadband.
The Minnesota bill enacted this week struck down a requirement that municipal telecommunications networks be approved in an election with 65 percent of the vote.
The caveat that prevented municipalities from competing against private providers was eliminated from the law when this week’s omnibus bill was passed.
As a result, the law now lets cities and towns “improve, construct, extend, and maintain facilities for Internet access and other communications purposes” even if private ISPs already offer service.
With Minnesota having repealed its anti-municipal broadband laws, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance says that 16 states still restrict the building of municipal networks.
The original article contains 558 words, the summary contains 143 words. Saved 74%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!