2021 Massachusetts General Laws
Part I - Administration of the Government
Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth
Chapter 25c - Department of Telecommunications and Cable
Section 9 - Facilitation of Access to Advanced Telecommunications Capability in the Commonwealth
[ Text of section added by 2021, 24, Sec. 15 effective July 1, 2021.]
Section 9. Notwithstanding sections 6A and 8 or any other general or special law to the contrary, the department shall have the powers and duties necessary to accomplish the purposes of this section. The department shall facilitate access to advanced telecommunications capability in the commonwealth, with a special interest in increasing the presence of advanced telecommunications capability across the commonwealth to: (i) promote economic development; (ii) meet the commonwealth's homeland security and emergency preparedness needs; and (iii) improve government efficiency and improve the quality of life of the residents of the commonwealth. The powers and duties of the department shall include, but not be limited to: (i) identifying areas that lack adequate advanced telecommunications capability, including where, due to geographic remoteness, sparsity of population or other considerations, private sector capital investment in advanced telecommunications facilities deployment is not sufficient to meet the present and future needs of the area; (ii) identifying the locations of advanced telecommunications capability facilities in the commonwealth; and (iii) taking other actions to fulfill the purposes of this section. The department shall work in consultation with the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, established in section 6B of chapter 40J.
