Mo. Senators Mull Muni Broadband Limits

Missouri local governments could be banned from using federal funds for broadband construction in areas deemed served by the state broadband office. The state’s Senate Commerce Committee heard testimony on SB-1074 at a livestreamed hearing Wednesday. Citing existing state definitions, the bill would consider areas without at least 10 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload wireline or fixed wireless as unserved and areas without at least 25/3 Mbps wireline or fixed wireless as underserved. If the area is determined to be unserved or underserved, the bill would require local governments to provide 100/20 speeds. No project area where an ISP is to receive federal funding to provide 100 Mbps symmetrical speed may be classified as unserved or underserved, it said. The bill is meant to prevent overbuilding, said sponsor Sen. Dan Hegeman (R). Chairman Mike Cierpiot (R) said he wants to focus on areas with no broadband and isn’t sure about saying speeds should be 100 Mbps. Scott Avery, city administrator of Houston, Missouri, said he has concerns about SB-1074 because his city is building a municipal broadband network. It’s unfair to let private companies challenge governments that get federal funding without allowing the reverse, Avery said. The Missouri Cable Telecommunications Association supports SB-1074 because it will stop overbuilding, said Husch Blackwell lobbyist Noel Torpey. In Colorado Tuesday, the House Transportation Committee voted 11-1 to clear HB-1306, which would update rules for awarding grant money under the American Rescue Plan Act to comply with finalized federal regulations. The Hawaii House Finance Committee voted 12-0 to clear a Senate-passed bill (SB-2479) that would require public housing built, renovated or reconstructed after Jan. 1 to have broadband access (see 2202040034). Two other House committees approved it earlier, so it can now go to the floor.