Federal Anti-Municipal Wi-Fi Bill Introduced

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Frank Muto <info () ISPNETWORKS ORG>
Date: June 3, 2005 10:24:52 PM EDT
To: CYBERTELECOM-L () LISTSERV AOL COM
Subject: Federal Anti-Municipal Wi-Fi Bill Introduced
Reply-To: Telecom Regulation & the Internet <CYBERTELECOM- 
L () LISTSERV AOL COM>


Federal Anti-Municipal Wi-Fi Bill Introduced
Mobile Pipeline

A Texas Congressman has introduced a bill that impose a nationwide
prohibition on municipally-sponsored networks.
Dubbed by the Author, Representative Pet Sessions (R-Texas), the  
Preserving
Innovation in Telecom Act of 2005, the bill prohibits state and local
governments from providing any telecommunications or information service
that is "substantially similar" to services provided by private  
companies.

The bill, HR 2726, is similar to a host of state bills pushed by
telecommunications companies aimed at fending off municipally-run  
wireless
networks. Some of those bills, most recently one in Texas, have been  
stalled
in state legislatures.

The telecommunications operators say that such networks represent unfair
competition while municipalities claim that the services are needed to
promote business and close the gap between digital haves and have-nots.

According to Sessions' on-line biography, he is a former employee of
Southwestern Bell and Bell Labs. The bill will first be considered by  
the
House Committee on Energy and Commerce.




Frank Muto
President/Ceo
FSM Marketing Group, Inc.
Co-founder -  Washington Bureau for ISP Advocacy - WBIA
http://gigabytemarch.blog.com/     www.wbia.us


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