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02/09/95 (REVISOR ] RR /DE 95 -1426 <br />1 (1) In light of local authorities' compelling and <br />2 legitimate interests in ensuring broad and diverse access to <br />3 communications services in exchange for the occupancy and use of <br />4 public property and public rights -of -way by private <br />5 communications providers, it is appropriate to require <br />6 communications providers to reserve capacity for public use. <br />7 (m) The commission, as a state agency, is well equipped to <br />8 develop uniform, statewide policy in the convergence of <br />9 communications services. Local authorities are well equipped to <br />10 implement and enforce those statewide policies. <br />11 Subd. 2. (POLICY GOALS.] Major policy goals include <br />12 fostering development and further advances of the communications <br />13 industry, universality of service, and regulation of actual or <br />14 near monopolies. In pursuit of these goals, use of public <br />15 property and public rights - of-way has been granted to private <br />16 interests for the purpose of furthering the development of the <br />17 communications business. With these goals in mind, the <br />18 legislature also declares that: <br />19 (a) Local authorities must have the authority to require <br />20 emerging communications services using public property and <br />21 public rights -of -way to: <br />22 (1) obtain permits and comply with existing local standards <br />23 for using public rights -of -way and public property, within <br />24 uniform state - mandated parameters, in constructing and operating <br />25 facilities to distribute services within municipal boundaries; <br />26 (2) prohibit redlining and uphold nondiscrimination <br />27 standards in providing emerging communications services; <br />28 (3) support community access to emerging communications <br />29 services; <br />30 (4) design the local communications infrastructure to meet <br />31 community communications and information needs within state and <br />32 federal uniform standards of universality and interconnectivity <br />33 so that a portion of the public capacity can be delivered on a <br />34 city- and school district - specific basis as determined by the <br />35 local authorities; and <br />36 (5) allow local authorities to receive compensation for the <br />4 <br />Page 49 <br />