Industry leaders from AT&T, Lumen, Ziply Fiber and Brightspeed said Thursday that federal and state policies requiring providers to maintain copper telephone networks are diverting capital away from next-generation broadband networks.
Lumen Senior Vice President of Public Policy Melissa Mann said the company has been actively advocating for state-level reforms to laws that mandate the upkeep of copper networks. She pointed to a recent win in Utah, where lawmakers passed legislation relieving providers of certain carrier of last resort (COLR) obligations.
“We’re having positive conversations in other states as well,” Mann said, noting that at least 21 states have taken steps to modernize regulations around COLR and copper network maintenance. States like Illinois, Colorado, and Minnesota were also advancing what she described as “common-sense reforms.”
Minnesota does have a bill in the Legislature now on the issue: HF1971: relieving telecom carriers of the obligation to serve certain areas; requiring the Office of Broadband Dev to resolve disputes.