SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 67

(By Senators Walters, Leonhardt, Gaunch, Mullins and Woelfel)

[Originating in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure]

Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance study the development, funding and construction of a statewide fiber optic broadband infrastructure network, known as the broadband middle mile, to be owned by the state.

             Whereas, In building and improving the infrastructure of West Virginia, access to broadband services for all communities is vital; and

            Whereas, Access to the Internet and high-speed broadband services is expensive and sometimes nonexistent in many areas of the state, reducing the chances of communities to attract and retain businesses and high-paying jobs; and

            Whereas, It is essential to economic development and the viability of many communities that there be statewide access to high-speed, high-quality and inexpensive broadband services; and

            Whereas, The National Broadband Plan (NBP) announced by the FCC in March, 2010, visualizes a significantly enhanced commitment to community institutions as an element of the plans for promoting broadband availability; and

            Whereas, The plan states that every American community should have affordable access to at least 1 gigabit per second broadband service to anchor institutions such as schools, hospitals and government buildings; and

            Whereas, The middle-mile provision is a major issue in reducing the price of broadband Internet service to nonincumbent operators. Internet bandwidth is relatively inexpensive to purchase in bulk at the major Internet peering points; and

            Whereas, Middle-mile access, when bought from the incumbent operator, is often much more expensive and typically forms the major expense of nonincumbent broadband ISPs and inhibits communities' access to high-speed, high-quality and inexpensive broadband services; and

            Whereas, The alternative, building out of their own fiber networks, is capital intensive and thus unavailable to most new operators; and

            Whereas, For these reasons, many proposals for government broadband stimulus initiatives are directed at building out the middle mile; and

            Whereas, The State of West Virginia must work with the NBP to develop a plan for broadband middle-mile infrastructure development and to create a separate infrastructure fund for broadband middle-mile infrastructure projects; therefore, be it

            Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

            That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby requested to study the development, funding and construction of a statewide fiber optic broadband infrastructure network, known as the broadband middle mile, to be owned by the state; and, be it

            Further Resolved, That the West Virginia Network (WVNET) develop a statewide broadband middle-mile infrastructure draft plan and make recommendations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance on how such a network may be realized; and, be it

            Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2016, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it

            Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.