Virginia Beach, Norfolk concerned about broadband internet bill in the General Assembly
RICHMOND -- The two largest cities in Hampton Roads are opposing a bill in the legislature that their leaders say would limit municipal control of their broadband infrastructure and maybe hamper their ability to bring faster internet speeds and lower prices to residents.
Virginia Beach passed a resolution this week coming out against HB2108, known as the Virginia Broadband Deployment Act. Norfolk is scheduled to vote on a resolution rebuking it Tuesday.
The bill, introduced by Del. Kathy Byron, R-Campbell, has met significant criticism – which she argues is misguided.
The bill’s goal, she says, is to prioritize broadband delivery to unserved areas of the state – mainly rural areas – before municipalities try to create their own internet services that duplicate systems in areas already served by high-speed internet, defined in the bill as 10 megabits per second.
Read more: http://pilotonline.com/news/government/local/virginia-beach-norfolk-concerned-about-broadband-internet-bill-in-the/article_aeb4b971-021e-5ea0-b2eb-85546dc17426.html
