Economic Development Corp. supports New Economy Communications Act
(Information provided by the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corp.)
OWENSBORO, Ky. (Feb. 26, 2013) — Third-generation (3G) wireless service was late coming to Owensboro. The “Big Four” providers launched the service a few years ago. The city was not the last to get the service, but “we sure weren’t at the front of the line, either,” said the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corp. (EDC).
Louisville, Lexington and Bowling Green recently introduced AT&T’s 4G LTE service, offering wireless broadband speeds 10 times that of 3G. Business leaders in Owensboro are pushing to get new wireless technologies to the city in a faster manner.
“Owensboro is again behind the curve with regards to wireless technology,” the EDC said. “Verizon is currently the only provider offering broadband speeds that exceed 3G capabilities in Owensboro.”
[pullquote_left]“In order for businesses to compete in a global economy, they need wireless connectivity, so we must do all we can to better enable providers to bring this new technology to our community.”— Greater Owensboro EDC[/pullquote_left]
In a world that is becoming more and more dependent on our wireless connectivity, the EDC’s goal is to ensure that Owensboro’s wait for this new technology is not a long one. That’s why it supports Kentucky Senate Bill 88, the New Economy Communications Act, which the EDC said aims to attract capital and invest it in technologies of the future that businesses and consumers demand.
The legislation is “about bringing new services and a better wireless infrastructure to our state as we become even more dependent on the Internet to communicate with each other and do business,” the EDC said.
SB 88 passed the Senate and was sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.
The way we communicate has changed, and so must the laws, the EDC said.
“We must update our monopoly-era laws for a world that thrives on competition,” the EDC said. “Kentucky cannot afford to wait behind other states for investment, and Owensboro cannot afford to lag behind other cities in Kentucky.”
More than a third of Kentucky adults live in wireless-only households, while the number of smartphones and tablets in Kentucky continues to grow daily.
“This technology is critical to Owensboro’s future because wireless broadband applications are driving productivity and changes in every segment of our economy,” the EDC said. “It has become a major component in the way we address problems and opportunities in healthcare, education, commerce and more. In order for businesses to compete in a global economy, they need wireless connectivity, so we must do all we can to better enable providers to bring this new technology to our community.”
Fortunately for Owensboro and other non-metro towns in the state, the EDC said, communications providers are among the leading investors in Kentucky, with AT&T, for example, investing $200 million per year over the past three years. These providers are looking to invest even more to meet the explosive demand for broadband services and are working with legislators to modernize laws to make Kentucky an even more attractive environment for capital investment. Kentucky must compete for capital with states such as Indiana and others that already claim to have one of the best business climates in the nation, the Owensboro organization said.
The Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corp. is one of more than 100 organizations and businesses representing Kentuckians who support the effort to modernize laws to keep Kentucky from falling behind other southern states.
The EDC supports legislation to build a better business climate that “addresses technological change and keeps us from falling behind in the race to bring jobs, investment and innovation to Owensboro and Western Kentucky.”
For more information about SB 88, click here.
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