Presley Says Industry Lobbying Against Mississippi Broadband Bill
AT&T denied it's resisting a proposed rural broadband grant program responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in Mississippi. The House received SB-3046 Thursday after senators voted 49-2 the previous day. Tweeting Friday, Mississippi Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley claimed AT&T and…
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the cable industry are lobbying the House on the bill “to kill rural broadband.” The NARUC president added, “We cannot allow them to rule the roost on this issue any longer.” AT&T has “no opposition to the grant program established by the Senate,” though it hasn’t seen details of what the House is considering, the carrier’s spokesperson emailed. “In general, we see the value of programs -- like the FCC’s Connect America Fund and others -- that help spur increased investment by the private sector in underserved, rural communities.” The Mississippi Cable Telecommunications Association didn’t comment, and Presley didn’t comment further. The House voted 114-4 Thursday for HB-1786 providing $200 million for a distance-learning grant program for electronic devices. It goes to the Senate. In Louisiana, lawmakers’ second try at an electric cooperative broadband bill looks likely to be enacted after state senators voted 35-0 Thursday to concur with amendments by the House. That chamber voted unanimously for SB-10 Wednesday (see 2006240065). Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) said he supported the cooperative-backed SB-10 when he vetoed SB-406, an earlier bill that co-ops opposed because it restricted them to unserved areas. Edwards “will review the final version of the bill when we receive it and make a decision,” emailed a spokesperson.