Feb 3 5:41 PM

Kansas considers bill to ban municipal broadband service

A Google Inc. broadband technician, installs Google Fiber network at the home of a customer in Kansas City, Kansas.
Julie Denesha/Getty Images.


A cable industry lobbying group introduced a bill in the Kansas State Legislature last week that would make it more difficult for municipalities to invest in broadband services for their residents. The bill, entitled the Municipal Communications Network and Private Telecommunications Investment Safeguard Act (SB 304), would prevent cities and towns in Kansas from establishing their own broadband networks. It would also would outlaw future public-private partnerships such as Google Fiber in Kansas City, which offers free internet for seven years to customers who pay a $300 installation fee.

The group that introduced the legislation, the Kansas Cable Telecommunications Association, includes cable companies such as Comcast, Cox and Time Warner Cable among its members.

Below is the central part of the bill, which strictly limits the ability of municipalities to get involved in expanding broadband access:

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