Another US state repeals law that protected ISPs from municipal competition
With Minnesota repeal, number of states restricting public broadband falls to 16.
Wait, a system where the government provides a service subsidized by taxes, and where if the citizens don't like it they can get a private option, and the existence of the government option would force the private options to be innovative and competitive if they wanted to continue existing?
Man, what a healthy approach to industry. I wonder in what other ways we could carefully apply this method?
Ideally the internet would be provided with the same indifference as water and electricity. With no stipulations on how or why you're using it.
If you share your water or electricity with a neighbor, I think they can cut you off and/or fine you. Probably dependent on the state?
Yeah, stuff like that is likely decided at the municipality level.
Good. Fuck the LEC system, let anyone have a crack at it
I’ve always thought that local gov should be able to provide a baseline level of access to the internet, with commercial vendors bringing services and value above that baseline. Sadly our elected representatives were convinced otherwise. I’m glad to see movement in the right direction though.
Ah yeah some good news on my feed
I hope that number keeps falling
Good, absurdly corrupt law.
Amazing how this even legals lol
It's legal because ISPs wrote the laws.
Yes to add to that some cable companies were literally writing the state laws.
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But the list has gotten smaller in recent years because states including Arkansas, Colorado, and Washington repealed laws that hindered municipal broadband.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With Minnesota having repealed its anti-municipal broadband laws, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance says that 16 states still restrict the building of municipal networks.
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