Georgia
State News
- HB 168 passes in the Georgia House as announced in an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. To read more, please click here.
- An article in the Rome News Tribune discusses a stimulus opportunity that will help establish a fiber optic system to provide faster and more reliable Internet. To read more, please click here.
- To read about the latest broadband projects in Georgia as reported in the Atlanta Business Chronicle, please click here.
State Members*
HB 168: An Opportunity for Georgia
Georgia: a leader in telecommunications
- Georgia has been a leader in broadband and telecommunications by passing regulation reform over the years which has attracted private sector investment.
- In 2008, Georgia ranked first in the country among states with the highest percentage of DSL availability where local telephone service is also offered, according to the Federal Communications Commission report “High-Speed Services for Internet Access – Status as of June 30, 2008”.
Georgia has an opportunity to continue that trend of leadership with HB 168, the Telecom Jobs & Investment Act.
HB 168 will benefit Georgia and Georgia consumers in a number of ways:
- Jobs - As businesses expand and companies look to increase investment that means more jobs and opportunities for Georgians to return to the workplace.
- Economic growth -New investment in broadband internet and digital technologies will give state and local businesses access to new technologies and provide opportunities for businesses to expand.
- Investment in your state and community – Companies will view Georgia as a place to grow and develop capital, deploy high-speed Internet services and digital technologies; with new investments, companies will provide new services and products for consumers.
- Competitive Incentive -Neighboring states including Alabama and North and South Carolina have all recently updated their telecommunications laws in ways that will encourage high-speed Internet access investment and deployment in those states. Georgia can do the same and maintain its leadership in broadband.
Georgia has been a leader in broadband over the years and now has the chance to do so again with HB 168.
Georgia remains at the forefront of Broadband adoption as a result of public policies that encourage buildout and investment.
- A 2007 State New Economy Index by the Kaufman Foundation found Georgia ranked highest in broadband telecommunications ability (Bob Keefe, “Georgia Ascends In Tech Index,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2/28/07)
- In 2006, Governor Perdue announced a Broadband initiative funded through OneGeorgia Authority to ensure that Georgia communities have access to Broadband. A $5 million grant program to support broadband access in rural areas was established through that initiative. (“Education, Children, Job Creation And Public Safety Headline Perdue’s State Of The State Address,” Atlanta Inquirer, 1/28/06)
- Additionally, OneGeorgia’s BRIDGE (Broadband Rural Initiative to Develop Georgia’s Economy) fund supports county Broadband projects by providing a “competitive financing program to support deployment of High Speed Broadband in rural areas”. (OneGeorgia Authority, www.onegeorgia.org, Accessed 1/22/09)
- Governor Perdue and Legislature successfully initiated the Wireless Communities Georgia program in order to provide funding to local governments to build wireless networks in their communities. In 2007 at the Governor’s request, the General Assembly appropriated $1 million in the 2008 budget for the Wireless Communities Georgia grants in addition to the $4 million in the Legislature that provided for at least three communities to create Wi-Fi zones. (Alan Riquelmy, “Air Card Or Wi-Fi?” Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, 7/9/06) (Gov. Sonny Perdue, “Governor Perdue Announces Wireless Communities Georgia Grant Awards,” Press Release, 1/23/08).
*Membership in Citizens for a Digital Future is entirely voluntary and does not require payment of dues or contributions.
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