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Chattanooga residents have just gotten royally screwed by their own government after they ignored a bill allowing a particular power and communications company to expand their services. EPB would have built out its gigabit fiber network for free, but a bill favoring private telecom companies was signed into law instead—one that will see plenty of taxpayer money wasted just for basic infrastructure and worse internet. “What we have right now is not the free market, it's regulations protecting giant corporations.”
EPB wanted to build out its gigabit fiber network to many of these same communities using money it has on hand or private loans at no cost to taxpayers. It would then charge individual residents for internet service. Instead, Tennessee taxpayers will give $45 million in tax breaks and grants to giant companies just to get basic infrastructure built. They will then get the opportunity to pay these companies more money for worse internet than they would have gotten under EPB's proposal.
EPB wanted to build out its gigabit fiber network to many of these same communities using money it has on hand or private loans at no cost to taxpayers. It would then charge individual residents for internet service. Instead, Tennessee taxpayers will give $45 million in tax breaks and grants to giant companies just to get basic infrastructure built. They will then get the opportunity to pay these companies more money for worse internet than they would have gotten under EPB's proposal.