Contact
Bill Esbeck: 608-469-7171
bill.esbeck@wsta.info
Groups hail Assembly for leadership, urge final passage this week
Madison, Wisconsin (April 21, 2010) – A coalition of technology and telecom providers Wednesday said the Assembly vote, 71-27, yesterday in favor of the telecom modernization bill was a major step toward encouraging more investment and job growth that will benefit Wisconsin consumers. The groups said the Assembly’s overwhelming bipartisan support of the bill reflected several amendments that were based on public input and have improved the bill.
The amendments added a requirement that traditional phone companies to continue to offer service within their service territories and strengthened Public Service Commission of Wisconsin powers ensuring newer telecom companies have access to the facilities of traditional phone providers.
“Consumers will see the full benefits of competition when this bill becomes law this year,” said Bill Esbeck, executive director of the Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association (WSTA). “The Assembly showed tremendous leadership by passing this bill and taking a major step to move Wisconsin forward.”
The Assembly vote in favor of Assembly Bill 696 was endorsed by WSTA, the Wisconsin Cable Communications Association, TDS, AT&T, and locally-owned telecommunications providers including Chequamegon Communications Cooperative (Cable), Solarus (Wisconsin Rapids), Amherst Telephone Company (Amherst), Marquette-Adams Communications Cooperative (Oxford), Mount Horeb Telephone Company (Mount Horeb), Lemonweir Valley Telcom (Camp Douglas), Wittenberg Telephone Company (Wittenberg), Vernon Telephone Cooperative (Westby), Nelson Telephone Cooperative (Durand), Tri- County Communications Cooperative (Strum), Cochrane Cooperative Telephone (Cochrane), Bruce Telephone Company (Bruce), and Price County Telephone (Phillips).
The legislation and its companion bill, Senate Bill 469, would place all landline providers under the same existing set of rules, encouraging more competition and investment in Wisconsin and help keep it competitive with other states. All consumer protection laws now administered by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection would remain in place under the bill.
The groups said the bill’s passage was the result of the leadership of Rep. Josh Zepnick, the author of the legislation and vice chairman of the Assembly Utilities Committee; Rep. Mark Pocan, co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee; Rep. Phil Montgomery, member of the Assembly Utilities Committee and Joint Finance Committee; and Rep. Mike Huebsch, ranking member of the Assembly Utilities Committee.
The legislation is supported by dozens of non-profit, technology and business groups across Wisconsin, including the Wisconsin Technology Council, New North Inc., Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce, Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce, Chippewa Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, Momentum West, Urban Economic Development Association of Wisconsin and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (Milwaukee Branch, Waukesha County Branch and Racine County).
