ACA Connects plans to submit comments to the FCC urging the Commission to use its authority under section 253 of the Communications Act to preempt state and local laws on permitting and rate regulation.
ACA Connects, the industry group representing small and midsize cable and broadband providers, is hoping to use an FCC proceeding to secure reforms on permitting and rate regulation, issues the group sees as prohibitive to its members.
The FCC in September opened a notice of inquiry (NOI) on “Eliminating barriers to wireline deployment,” seeking industry input on how the Commission can use its authority under section 253 of the Communications Act to preempt state and local laws that “have a prohibitive effect on wireline telecommunications deployments and services.”
ACA expects to submit its comments to the FCC’s proceeding in the coming days, but the group’s leadership held a press briefing on Wednesday (November 12) offering a summary of those comments and ACA’s top priorities.
The priorities, as summarized by ACA’s Brian Hurley, senior vice president of legal and regulatory affairs, include streamlining permitting and public rights of way, broadband price regulation (as in, laws like New York’s Affordable Broadband Act) and enforcement.
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