Showing posts with label community service districts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label community service districts. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Schwarzenegger signs legislation allowing some California local governments to construct broadband infrastructure

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has implemented one of the several recommendations issued by his Broadband Task Force earlier this year by approving legislation that would allow California's 320 community services districts (CSDs) to construct and operate telecommunications infrastructure to deliver broadband within their jurisdictions. CSDs are part of a category of limited purpose local governments known as special districts.

Under Senate Bill 1191, CSDs would serve as stopgap providers until a private sector provider opts to serve their areas with services of comparable cost and quality. CSDs would then have to sell or lease the plant to the private provider at fair market value under the legislation.

Notably, the measure was not opposed by telephone or cable companies, which suggests lawmakers might come back in 2009 with new legislation expanding the concept to other types of local government.

Here's a link to the text of SB 1191 and a news release issued by Schwarzenegger's Press Office.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Local government units could build own broadband infrastructure under proposed California legislation

Following the January release of a report by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Broadband Task Force finding nearly 2,000 California communities lacking high speed Internet access, legislation has been introduced that would authorize community service districts (CSDs) to offer broadband service within their jurisdictions.

SB 1191 would allow allow CSDs to "acquire, own, improve, maintain, and operate broadband facilities and to provide broadband services, until a private person or entity is ready, willing, and able to acquire, construct, improve, maintain, and operate broadband facilities and to provide broadband services, and to sell those services at a comparable cost and quality of service to the district and its property owners, residents, and visitors." If and when a qualified private broadband provider steps up and shows an interest in serving the community, the legislation requires the CSD to sell or lease its broadband infrastructure to the provider at fair market value.

In 2007, a California Court of Appeal ruling cleared the way for public utility districts to provide advanced telecommunications services, rejecting a legal challenge by a cable TV company.