Yesterday we noted how lawmakers loyal to regional incumbents AT&T and Time Warner Cable tried to enact a “moratorium” on community fiber builds. The plan was to stop communities like Wilson from building fiber to the home networks that offer speeds neither AT&T or Time Warner Cable are willing to offer — in large part because these companies lack substantive competition. Senator David Hoyle (D-Gaston)’s moratorium plans fell apart after consumer blowback yesterday, but he appears to have replaced the moratorium with a new draft bill that’s worse.

His new bill is designed to tie any state community fiber build up in endless bundles of red tape, creating a potential scenario where a community would have to hold referendums to accomplish absolutely anything, including refinancing, repairs, or upgrades (it’s important to note that many of these NC projects are not funded with taxpayer dollars). It’s a bill designed and written by carriers, for carriers — giving them all the tools they need to squash these projects:

Again, Time Warner Cable and AT&T wouldn’t be facing these kind of projects if there was truly competitive markets, something both companies fight tooth and nail against — whether it originates from an independent ISP or a community fiber build.
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Related posts:

1. North Carolina To Try And Ban Community Fiber Today – Whether your town or city likes it or not…
2. Last Gasp Effort to Stop North Carolina Muni-Broadband Bill – Advocates Urge NC Governor to Veto Time Warner Cable’s Law
3. Legislators block bill to ban North Carolina municipal broadband efforts
4. NC Community Fiber Ban To Exempt Existing Fiber Deployments – As Carriers Try For The Fourth Time To Derail Community Fiber
5. North Carolina Passes Anti-Community Fiber Bill – Governor Bev Perdue Refuses to Veto Bill

Tags: amp, Bill, Cable, community, companies fight, David Hoyle, fiber, fight tooth, Hoyle, independent isp, Senator David Hoyle, time warner cable, Wilson

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