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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 1, 2020 02:47 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Pam Snyder |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Municipal Authorities Deploying Broadband |
| Across Pennsylvania, our municipal authorities provide vital services to our constituents. Whether it's environmental, economic development or community partnerships, municipal authorities finance and maintain important utility infrastructure and protect the public health, safety and overall welfare of our constituents. That's why l'm introducing legislation to add another critical infrastructure need to the scope of projects permitted under the Municipal Authorities Act: deployment of a publicly owned broadband internet network. Currently, municipalities (including municipal authorities) have to navigate arcane procedures to secure fast, high quality broadband. This is a serious issue, especially in rural areas who are underserved by large corporate lnternet Service Providers (or ISPs) and can hamper economic growth, stifling job creation and investment in those areas. Let's give our local communities and their residents the ability to provide themselves with fast, high speed internet without being dependent on large monopolistic ISPs. By supporting this bill, Members are returning decision making surrounding the deployment of municipal broadband back to the local level. |
Introduced as HB166