CLIC Files Comments with the Broadband Opportunity Council

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On March 23, 2015, the White House released a Presidential Memorandum establishing a new Broadband Opportunity Council, co-chaired by the U.S. Department of Commerce and Agriculture. The Council comprises 25 federal agencies that can play a role in accelerating broadband deployment and promoting the technology’s adoption across the country. On April 29, 2015, as part of the Council’s objectives, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Rural Utility Service (RUS) issued a public request for comments on perspectives and recommended actions the federal government can take to promote broadband deployment, adoption and competition, including by identifying and removing regulatory barriers impeding investments in broadband technology.

Yesterday CLIC filed comments in this inquiry. Our comments fall along five lines, and we encourage you to read them here: 1) Federal policy should enable and promote a wide range of entities to work on broadband opportunities; 2) Federal policy should recognize that State barriers to local broadband choice reduce broadband opportunity; 3) Federal broadband funding should be available to all entities; 4) Federal broadband and other funding should be coordinated across all federal agencies so as to incorporate broadband in other funding programs and reduce silos; and 5) Federal policies should enable coordination between all levels of government to promote use of Federal and Federally-funded broadband assets.