Coalition Applauds FCC Efforts to Curb Excessive Fees that Chill Broadband Deployment

Lincoln joined a coalition letter organized by the Institute for Liberty supporting the FCC's efforts to curb excessive state and local cable franchise fees, as well as in-kind demands, that chill broadband deployment. The letter encourages the Commission to adopt the draft Third Report and Order on the implementation of Section 621 of the Cable Act during their August open meeting. The Order would reaffirm the 5-percent statutory cap on cable franchise fees, as well as prohibit local authorities from requiring cable providers to seek multiple franchises just because their networks have mixed uses. This Order marks an important step forward in the Commission’s efforts to reduce regulatory obstacles to the swift deployment of wired and wireless broadband infrastructure.