Pro-Muni Broadband Group Criticizes Missouri's HB-437

The Missouri House’s HB-437 is the latest “attempt to erect barriers to the deployment of broadband networks,” the Coalition for Local Internet Choice said Monday. The bill, introduced Thursday, would bar any municipality from offering broadband or other competitive services unless the municipality already offers the service, a private company isn’t offering the service within the municipality’s boundaries, the service would have an annual fiscal impact of less than $100,000 or a majority of voters approve the service offering. “It is ironic that while the International CES show in Las Vegas spotlighted hundreds of new devices and applications that require big bandwidth, legislation would be introduced in Missouri that would impair the development of networks that enable that bandwidth,” CLIC said in a statement. HB-437 “is about fairness,” Rep. Rocky Miller, the Republican who sponsored the bill, emailed us. “This bill is meant to even the playing field and eliminate socialized/non-commercial services provided by municipalities. I simply want to vote to allow for my city to provide a service if that service is already being provided by another company.” Miller said the bill would prevent “unfair competition” and still lets municipalities offer services if voters approve them. Missouri law restricts all political subdivisions from providing certain telecom services but exempts 911 and “Internet-type” services.