McCain bill backs municipal broadband

Weeks after Rep. Pete Sessions introduced a bill intended to prevent municipalities from building broadband networks, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) have said they will introduce legislation that specifically permits municipalities to offer low-cost broadband service.

The "Community Broadband Act of 2005," as their act is called, is reportedly intended to become part of a broader telecom reform effort that is expected to emerge in Congress later this year.

McCain, former chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, has been willing to take on incumbents in the past, aggressively pushing for cable TV companies to offer a la carte services, for example.

The McCain-Lautenberg bill is expected to face opposition from Bell company lobbyists but has the backing of a number of pro-municipal broadband and high-tech groups including the High-Tech Broadband Coalition, the National League of Cities, the Rural Broadband Coalition and the American Public Power Association.