Wilton Manors, Florida (February 26, 2015) – Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued two historically important orders. The decisions came after much consideration and in part due to comments submitted by the FCC’s Intergovernmental Advisory Committee (IAC), chaired by Wilton Manors Mayor Gary Resnick.
The first order preempts state laws in North Carolina and Tennessee that restrict cities from offering broadband services. This has significant impact in the State of Florida, which also has laws making it difficult for cities to offer these communication services.
“If local governments choose to offer broadband services and provide their residents and businesses with a choice, they should be able to do so,” says Mayor Resnick.
The second order allows the FCC to regulate broadband as a communications service and ensures Open Internet.
As Mayor Resnick points out, “Broadband has become the most important service in our society and economy. I applaud these decisions.”
Until this Order, there was no ability to ensure that the few companies that control Broadband would do so in a way that would be consistent with the public interest. These decisions stand to benefit all levels of government, businesses, the economy, technological innovation and most importantly consumers.
“We all take Broadband for granted,” said Mayor Resnick, “as we do with other vital services such as roadways, water and electricity. However, Broadband is essential for public safety, education, applying for a job, communicating for work, and our social interaction.”
Mayor Resnick will serve as chair of the IAC through 2016. After taking on the role, he selected New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to serve as Vice Chair. Resnick and de Blasio serve on the IAC alongside other county, state, municipal and tribal officials, including Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee, and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, to advise the FCC on important communications-related issues that affect their residents. Mayor Resnick is also a shareholder and practicing attorney with GrayRobinson Attorneys at Law.
ABOUT THE FCC IAC
The Intergovernmental Advisory Committee (“IAC”), formerly known as the Local and State Government Advisory Committee, was created in 1997 to provide guidance to the Commission on issues of importance to state, local and tribal governments, as well as to the Commission. The IAC is composed of 15 elected and appointed officials of municipal, county, state, and tribal governments. The IAC provides ongoing advice and information to the Commission on a broad range of telecommunications issues of interest to state, local and tribal governments, including cable and local franchising, public rights-of-way, facilities siting, universal service, broadband access, barriers to competitive entry, and public safety communications, for which the Commission explicitly or inherently shares responsibility or administration with local, county, state or tribal governments. For more information on the FCC IAC, please visit: http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/intergovernmental-advisory-committee