This is the transcript for episode 12 of our bonus series, “Why NC Broadband Matters." We’re joined by North Carolina League of Municipalities Chief Legislative Council Erin Wynia to talk about Internet access in the state a full year into the COVID 19 pandemic, and the access gaps experienced in towns across the eastern part of the state. Listen to the episode here, or read the transcript below.
Erin Wynia: If you allow local governments to lease their even existing assets to a private provider in the context of a public private partnership that this could move the dial. What we know is that there are communities out there all across the state that have paid for fiber and they are using it for internal purposes. All of those assets are just sitting there waiting to be utilized in a more robust way to provide this service to their communities. And our local governments right now, because of our state laws are handcuffed.
Ry Marcattilio-McCracken: We're bringing you another episode in our special Community Broadband Bits Podcast series, Why North Carolina Broadband Matters. I'm Ry Marcattilio-McCracken with the Institute for Local Self-reliance in Minneapolis, Minnesota. North Carolina Broadband Matters is a North Carolina nonprofit. Their mission is to attract, support, and champion the universal availability of affordable, reliable high capacity Internet access. The group has created the North Carolina chapter of Click Coalition for Local Internet Choice. ILSR is working with North Carolina Broadband Matters to produce this series, focusing on issues affecting people in North Carolina that also impact folks in other regions. We're joined today by North Carolina league of municipalities, chief legislative counsel, Erin Wynia to talk about Internet access in the state, a full year into the COVID-19 pandemic and the access gaps experienced in towns across the Eastern part of North Carolina in particular, in the area serviced by Suddenlink Communications.
Ry Marcattilio-McCracken: Erin shares with Chris, how a collection of mayors banded together to write the states Attorney General, imploring him to look into Suddenlink's business practices, after feeling questions and complaints from residents and...
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