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Pa.'s broadband authority reverses position on key state law before new federal funding arrives
Spotlight PA link: https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2024/01/pennsylvania-rural-broandband-reverse/
HARRISBURG — A state agency recently reversed its position on whether Pennsylvania law could cause problems for an unprecedented surge of federal investment for expanding access to high-speed internet.
In the first draft of the state’s plan for administering more than $1 billion in federal funding, the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority said that to avoid a conflict with federal law it would waive an obscure state statute that restricts when local governments can build their own internet networks.
But in the latest draft of the document, submitted to the federal government last year, the agency reversed course, declaring that there was no conflict. The about-face came after the first draft of the plan drew public comments that included praise, pushback, and questions about the agency’s ability to set aside state law.
“It’s a complete 180,” said Sascha Meinrath, a professor of telecommunications at Penn State and lead author of two major state reports on rural broadband. “The original draft says this law poses a problem and the new iteration says there is no problem.”
- more at link -
In the first draft of the state’s plan for administering more than $1 billion in federal funding, the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority said that to avoid a conflict with federal law it would waive an obscure state statute that restricts when local governments can build their own internet networks.
But in the latest draft of the document, submitted to the federal government last year, the agency reversed course, declaring that there was no conflict. The about-face came after the first draft of the plan drew public comments that included praise, pushback, and questions about the agency’s ability to set aside state law.
“It’s a complete 180,” said Sascha Meinrath, a professor of telecommunications at Penn State and lead author of two major state reports on rural broadband. “The original draft says this law poses a problem and the new iteration says there is no problem.”
I hope they get this figured out before the federal government decides to spend their broadband money elsewhere.
