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02/09/95 (REVISOR ) RR /DE 95 -1426 <br />1 reasonable state and municipal oversight. <br />2 (e) The legislature recognizes that the services offered by <br />3 the communications industry and the number of persons providing <br />4 those services are rapidly growing and changing. A need exists <br />5 to develop a comprehensive state communications policy. <br />6 (f) It has long been the intent of the legislature to <br />7 ensure that emerging communications services are fully <br />8 accessible to every state resident, person, and public <br />9 institution. <br />10 (q) The cable television industry, telephone industry, <br />11 computer industry, and related industries are now able to <br />12 provide new services in addition to traditional POCS and POTS. <br />13 Thus, within the communications industry, there is a wide range <br />14 of persons seeking to deliver video, voice, and data services <br />15 bidirectionally through the use of public property and public <br />16 rights -of -way. <br />17 (h) Emerging communications services have created an <br />18 unaddressed competitive environment in Minnesota public property <br />19 and public rights -of -way. Existing state statutes do not <br />20 adequately address these emerging communications services. <br />21 (i) Local authorities are well equipped to analyze and <br />22 implement the needs and interests of the local citizen and <br />23 <br />24 <br />consumer. <br />Local <br />support business <br />governmental use of communication services will <br />expansion, create jobs, spur economic growth, <br />25 and improve the overall quality of life. Participation by local <br />26 authorities will protect and return taxpayers' investments in <br />27 public property and public rights -of -way. <br />28 (j) State government <br />and <br />local <br />29 considerable sums of public money in <br />30 communications law. These interests <br />31 protection in regard to emerging communications services. <br />authorities have spent <br />implementing existing <br />require legislative <br />32 (k) Local authorities are responsible for developing and <br />33 maintaining public property and public rights -of -way. Public <br />34 property and public rights -of -way are valuable assets for which <br />35 it is appropriate for local authorities to receive reasonable <br />36 compensation for their use by persons for profit. <br />3 <br />Page 48 <br />