Some 17 years ago, in response to
intense public pressure, a majority of Tennessee's legislators
enacted a law allowing Tennessee's municipal electric utilities to
offer fiberoptic and high speed broadband to its customers – and
only those customers.
The
legacy carriers at the time, AT&T and Comcast among them, fought
the law tooth and claw but in the end conceded defeat of a
sort. Limiting municipals to
their own customers decreased the chances of success and increased
their likelihood of failure to the point where many utilities opted
against taking up the challenge.
Fast
forward to 2014. The seven municipal utilities that went ahead have
all achieved notable successes, from adding thousands of new jobs to
improving access to education at public schools and providing online
streaming access to doctors and clinics for the elderly and the
infirm.
Public
demand for broadband and highspeeed internet from surrounding
counties has been mounting for some time, as those counties watch
companies that want to locate new facilities opting for one of the
seven cities with fiberoptic technology. The municipal electric
utilities have more than enough capacity to deliver services without
having to expand their systems. Morristown, for example, has some
6,000 customers (4,800 residential, 1200 business) but it has
capacity for 420,000, enough to fill the needs of its surrounding
counties – and more. The same is true for the rest.
Enter
Senator Janice Bowling (District 16), an ardent supporter of the
expansion. She not only experienced the impact of broadband on her
home city, Tullahoma, she understands the implications of broadband
expansion for all
Tennessee's counties and the competitive advantage that bringing
braodband to the state ahead of 19 other states that, like Tennessee,
have restrictive laws, crafted to favor legacy carriers over the
interests of Tennessee's citizens.
She
makes two attempts to bring about a change in the law to bring
Tennessee into the 21st
century, helping existing businesses flourish, attracting new
corporations, creating business incubators with the best and the
brightest people from around the globe; expanding learning
opportunties for all students, from public schools to universities.
Both are spurned in their early stages.
Undaunted,
in 2016, and with increased public support, she introduces her bill
(SB1134) anew, against vocal opposition from within the General Assembly's ranks and even the governor, himself not known for taking
courageous, visionary stances on important issues.
As the
battle rages, Senator Bowling and Representative Kevin Brooks gain in
visibility and in public favor – for doing what is right despite
opposition from corporate interests and their highly influenced
legislator supporters.
Research
makes clear what the pair are up against. A Senate committee all nine
members of which have received campaign contributions from AT&T
and Comcast – from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands; a
House committee, all eighteen of which have received similar
contributions. In the current 2015/2016 session alone, the numbers
total some $200,000 in the Senate committee and over $170,000 in the
House. These numbers don't include the $11,000 in contributions to
House Speaker Beth Harwell from AT&T and Comcast or the $14,150
to Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey from AT&T.
For
anyone curious if there are indicators of the money having an impact
on voting, one might find interesting the Speaker's comments that the
bills should not be considered until the Governor's survey is done,
or the statements of Speaker Pro Tem Bo Watson to the effect that
government should not be in competition with private industry, even
though for lo these 17 years, no legacy carrier has made any inroads
in meeting the needs of Tennesseans in rural communities.
Speaking
as a citizen from Jefferson County, on the other side of the state,
where the negative effects of the lack of broadband has been felt in
no uncertain terms, I send the thanks of our community to Senator
Bowling and Representative Brooks for introducing the bills and for
staying the course despite significant opposition.
Win or
lose, Tullahoma and Cleveland can be proud of these two members
of the General Assembly who are working diligently for all
Tennesseans.
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