Some State Leaders Want To Block FCC Ruling On Expanded Broadband Service

A ruling by the Federal Communication Commission may have given cities like Tullahoma, Chattanooga and others the green light to expand their municipal broadband service, but state officials who oppose the decision are lining up to block the move.
Republican Gov. Bill Haslam and the speakers of state House and Senate had written to the FCC before the ruling to urge the panel not to override a state law blocking Chattanooga’s electric utility from expanding its super-fast Internet network beyond its service area.
The FCC nevertheless voted 3-2 in favor of the utilities in Chattanooga and Wilson, North Carolina.
On Tuesday Republican lawmakers led by Rep. Jeremy Durham of Franklin are urging the state’s Attorney General to file a lawsuit to block the decision.
In Tullahoma, LightTUBe staff has long been wanting to provide broadband Internet services to rural customers outside of Tullahoma electric limits.