Kentucky’s telecom deregulation bill is important for spurring telecom investment,...
Kentucky’s telecom deregulation bill is important for spurring telecom investment, said Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers (R) and AT&T Kentucky President Mary Pat Regan in statements from an AT&T press release Wednesday (http://yhoo.it/1698Y15). Senate Bill 88 passed the Kentucky Senate…
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24-13 in mid-February and attracted controversy from some consumer advocates who worry state residents will suffer (CD Feb 20 p12). But AT&T plans to invest $600 to $800 million over the next two years “to support its current network capabilities and expand access to next-generation broadband services in Kentucky,” the telco said this week, alluding to its Project Velocity IP plans. “The Kentucky Senate recognizes the importance of creating the right economic environment to support investment in next generation broadband for Kentucky and that’s why the Senate passed SB 88,” Stivers said, praising the effects of high-speed Internet on commerce as well as its importance for health and academic needs. AT&T’s Regan thanked the Senate: “Kentucky is in competition with all states to attract investment, innovation and jobs. We are working with elected leaders to ensure that the Commonwealth benefits quickly from investment in new technology.” Regan wrote a Louisville Courier-Journal op-ed (http://cjky.it/Yd9gwp) praising the bill and calling opponents’ arguments “ridiculous” and “short-sighted” a day before it passed the Senate. Citizens for a Digital Future Chairman John Watson accused the bill’s opponents of “spreading misinformation” about the bill, as he noted in an open Feb. 26 letter (http://bit.ly/15NPnDm). The Kentucky Resources Council continues to warn against the loss of carrier of last resort obligations, among others, as it’s posted on its site since the Senate passage (http://bit.ly/Z1Pp7q). The bill is currently under review in the House Tourism Development and Energy Committee.