Joined by Sens. Franken, Klobuchar, Blumenthal, & Booker and Reps. Waxman & Eshoo in letter to FCC

Washington (June 27, 2014) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Congressman Mike Doyle (D-Penn.) today led a bicameral group of Democrats in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urging it to use its authority to ensure local communities are not inhibited if they wish to pursue the creation of their own broadband networks. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has made recent statements supporting municipal broadband efforts in light of state level efforts throughout the country to restrict community broadband efforts. In the letter, the lawmakers point to the critical importance of broadband communications networks for economic growth and competitiveness and asked the FCC for its plans to make progress on municipal broadband. 

“Communities are often best suited to decide for themselves if they want to invest in their own infrastructure and to choose the approach that will best work for them,” write the lawmakers in the letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. “Accordingly, local communities should have the opportunity to decide for themselves how to invest in their own infrastructure, including the options of working with willing incumbent carriers, creating incentives for private sector development, entering into creative public-private partnerships, or even building their own networks, if necessary or appropriate.” 

A copy of the letter to the FCC can be found HERE. 

The letter is also signed by Senators Al Franken (D-Minn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Representatives Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) and Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.). 

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