WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today cosponsored legislation to increase access to affordable broadband services for cities and towns across America. Stevens joined Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Senator Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), Senator Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) as an original cosponsor of the Community Broadband Act of 2007. 

“Access to affordable broadband services can provide underserved areas with important educational and economic opportunities,” said Senator Stevens.  “This measure will encourage public-private partnerships to make it easier for municipalities, cities, and towns across the nation to offer affordable broadband access to their residents.”

This legislation would allow municipalities to help fill the void in broadband access and enhance public safety development while bringing broadband services to their residents.  Senator Stevens included similar broadband provisions as part of a comprehensive communications bill last Congress.

The Community Broadband Act of 2007 would specifically:

• set forth that no state regulation or requirement shall prevent a public provider from offering broadband services; 

   

• prohibit a municipality from discriminating against competing private providers;

   

• require a municipality offering high-speed Internet services to comply with federal telecommunications law or regulation that applies to all such providers;

   

• encourage public-private partnerships; and

   

• provide the public with notice and an opportunity to be heard before a municipality provides broadband to the public.
  
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