The National Conference of State Legislatures approved a resolution at...

mobility and universal competition. Any federal USF revamp shouldn’t impact or hinder innovation at the state level or interfere with the administration of state USF, the resolution said. While investments in communications infrastructure have received considerable national attention, the federal government must recognize that states have unique priorities that require state and regional specific solutions, the resolution said. NCSL urges Congress to work with states in developing an integrated broadband strategy to ensure universal deployment and affordable access to every constituent, regardless of geography or economic status. NCSL supports the creation of a national advisory board, including state, federal and local policymakers, as well consumer and industry representatives, to develop principles to facilitate deployment of advanced broadband communications services. NCSL urges the FCC, in conjunction with state, federal and local policymakers, to reevaluate the distinction between telecom and information services and gather additional information on the state of advanced broadband and communications services. Meanwhile, NCSL will oppose any effort to authorize or prohibit the establishment of municipal or state created public agencies broadband networks through congressional or federal regulatory action. Should Congress or the federal government take such action, NCSL will challenge the constitutionality of such action. NCSL also urges state and federal policymakers to work together to ensure that industry targeted consumer protections can be applied within a national framework that ensures the continued ability of the state attorneys general to enforce such consumer protections. In order to preserve the states’ sovereignty, NCSL endorses state action to enhance the use of collocation of cell antennas and the streamlining of the current tower siting process. Collocation of antennas should not be subject to additional zoning, land-use or regulatory approval process beyond the initial process for siting the wireless facility. NCSL also believes government should not levy discriminatory fees for the siting of wireless facilities or the application for collocation. Application fees levied on the siting as well as taxes on the wireless facility must not be higher than fees or taxes applied to other general business. While NCSL acknowledges the historic role of states as the primary regulator of intrastate telecom, state legislators also recognize that the historic distinctions between intrastate and interstate communications is fast becoming irrelevant in today’s global marketplace. Services like VoIP that involve integrated functionalities that cannot even be characterized as jurisdictional, it said. NCSL calls upon the Congress and the FCC to partner with states in a national framework for communications policy that ensures minimal regulation but guarantees “all Americans with a choice of mediums and service providers.”