Legal and Regulatory Considerations When Providing Broadband Services

Utilities are in a unique position to extend much-needed broadband services to rural America, with existing physical connections to rural customers and a ubiquitous network infrastructure that can be leveraged to provide reliable, fast, and affordable broadband to areas that are unserved or underserved by other commercial service providers. At the same time, the legal and regulatory obligations facing utilities that are actively offering middle mile or broadband services have continued to evolve, presenting challenges that utilities must be prepared to address in order to meet the needs of the customers they serve. In this presentation, we will discuss the various legal and regulatory issues involved in becoming a middle mile fiber or broadband service provider and the ways in which these issues can be effectively managed.