CLIC posts this excerpt from the City of Palo Alto’s Reply Comments to provide a flavor of some of the filings in support of the Wilson/Chattanooga FCC proceeding:
“Local control of critical utility and communications infrastructure is an important principle for the City of Palo Alto. In addition to supporting the effective delivery of municipal services, this principle of local control has benefited multiple high-tech companies which have thrived in Palo Alto for many years and created the foundation for countless innovative products and services we enjoy today. In California, public entities are generally allowed to provide communications services. Since the late 1990s, the City of Palo Alto has operated a 41-mile dark fiber-optic backbone system which supports the delivery of a variety of City services, including electric, gas, water and wastewater utility services, in additional to a number of other municipal services dependent on high capacity fiber-optic communications infrastructure. Moreover, spare capacity on the City’s dark fiber-optic backbone system is licensed to commercial firms, the public school system and other organizations in Palo Alto, which further leverages the City’s fiber-optic asset and supports ultra-high speed broadband connectivity and innovation through the community.”…
“When the rest of the world is rapidly deploying essential 21st century broadband infrastructure, all options must be on the table for our country to remain globally competitive. Removing the barriers to broadband investment and competition as requested in the Opening Comments will encourage more communities to be better positioned to enable America to maximize all resources so that no one is left behind and unable to participate in this knowledge-based global economy.”
GET INVOLVED: File your own Ex-Parte Comments.
Sample Comments HERE.
How to File HERE.