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TELECOM from page 9 .............................................. franchise within 30 days if it agreed to the terms and conditions of the franchise most recently granted to the market's cable incumbent, accord- ing to a draft bill prepared by staff to Senate Commerce Committee Democrats. The bill, designed to update the Telecommuni- cations Act of 1996, would phase in franchisewide buildout requirements on phone companies and impose Internet-nondiscrimination mandates on broadband-access providers. It would also bar cable operators under many conditions from withholding programming not delivered via satel- lite. A copy of the 94-page bill was obtained by Multichannel News Wednesday. Under the bill, a phone company unwilling to sign the incumbent's franchise agreement could negotiate different terms with local regulators during a 60-day window. If those talks failed, the phone company would be allowed to enter the video market within 30 days under "standard franchise" - a default mechanism that includes a 5% franchise fee and other conditions specified in the bill. Cable incumbents can escape their local franchises and obtain a standard franchise after another video provider with a standard franchise offers seNice to more than 5% of homes in the same franchise area. House Judiciary Committee Passes "Net Neutrality" Bill. The bill would require broadband providers to abide by strict Net neutrality prin- ciples, meaning that their networks must be operated in a "nondiscriminatory" manner. The vote is a surprise victory for Internet companies such as Amazon.com, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo that had lobbied fiercely in the last few months for stricter laws to ensure that Verizon, AT&T and other broadband providers could not create a "fast lane" reserved for video or other high-priority content of their choice. All 14 Democrats on the committee Uoined by 6 Republicans) supported the measure, while 13 Republicans opposed it. The vote appears to be more about a turf war between two House committees than it is about a new-found conviction that content on the Internet should continue to be freely available. The House telecorn reform measure, H.R. 5252, would give exclusive authority to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to investigate violations of Net neutrality principles. That legislation is sponsored by Rep. Joe Barton, a Texas Republican who heads the House Energy and Commerce Commit- tee, which also has jurisdiction over the FCC. The Judiciary Committee vote appears to be an attempt to ensure that Judiciary Committee members would not be prevented from holding hearings on Net neutrality antitrust violations. Quoted in the online publication C/NET News.com, California Representative Adam Schiff said, "I think the bill is a blunt instrument, and yet I think it does send a message that it's important to attain juris- diction for the Justice Department and for antitrust issues." You Could Have Your Own Subscription to Western City magazine. Subscribe Today! Only Westem Cityrnagazine brings you practical ideas and information you need to know about local governrnent in California. Western City magazine presents big-picture policy issues and trends in a format suited for busy professionals, with concise feature articles and in-depth series that explore statewide issues. Stay informed about city issues across California. Subscribe today. Visit: www.westemcny.com/Df. PAGE 10 - PRIORITY FOCUS May 26, 2006 - Issue #21 Visit the League's Official Website--www.cacities.org