CCW Applauds Introduction of Colorado Telecommunications ...

SB157 Will Modernize Outdated Telecommunication Policy and is
a Crucial Step for Jobs, Innovation, and Investment

Denver, CO ? Today, Senator Mark Scheffel introduced much-anticipated legislation that will bring the opportunities and benefits of innovation to Coloradans by updating the state?s telecommunications statutes for the first time in over 25 years. ?As people around Colorado and around the globe live increasingly wireless lives with growing dependence on the Internet, Senator Scheffel?s legislation will get Colorado up to speed with current technology and help prepare for an ever expanding mobile and broadband driven future.

For two years the Coalition for a Connected West (CCW) has encouraged policymakers to THINK AHEAD and a dedicated group of bi-partisan lawmakers have spent 18 months bringing stakeholders together in developing proactive solutions that encourage private sector investment and innovation in broadband and technology.? Some key facts to consider:

• Colorado may be losing its competitive edge on households who use the Internet. In 2007, Colorado ranked 6 in the United States by household Internet usage at 78.9% In 2010, Colorado ranked 18 at 82.68% (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, The 2012 Statistical Abstract, Information & Communications: Internet Publishing and Broadcasting and Internet Usage.)
• Broadband provides economic opportunity for all Coloradans. Cloud computing alone is estimated to create 11,000 new jobs in the Denver area by 2015 (Source: Vuong, Denver Post, ?Study: Cloud computing to create 11,000 jobs in Denver by 2015?)
• 93% of Coloradans use a cell phone, many of which are transitioning to smartphones. Additionally, Colorado is home to a growing number of application developers, like iTriage and mGive, which depend on robust broadband networks and smartphones to deliver their products. (Source: FCC Local Telephone Competition: Status as of December 31, 2010)

?Technology has dramatically changed in the 25 years since Colorado drafted its telecommunications policies,? stated Tony Bradley, Executive Director for the Coalition for a Connected West. ?The onset of wireless, satellite and cable technologies, mobile applications and high speed Internet access from a vast array of devices means that Coloradans have more choices and options to connect to one another than ever before. But Colorado?s polices do not recognize the market and technological realities of today.?

Last April, CCW conducted a statewide poll that showed a majority of Coloradans believes Colorado?s telecommunications regulations need to be updated to enable new technologies, expand coverage, and encourage new investment. A summary of CCW?s 2011 poll results can be found below:

Key findings from the survey show that the telecommunications industry enjoys a positive feeling in Colorado:

• Fifty-five percent (55%) of Coloradans expressed a favorable opinion toward the telecommunications industry.

Coloradans believe that that wireless is the future of communications.

• Ninety-nine percent (99%) of Coloradans believe that wireless will be the main form of personal telephone communications.

There is broad support for updating telecommunications laws.

• Six-one percent (61%) of Coloradans supported updating existing telecommunications law when read statements for and against updating the law. (This included support across all demographics including Democrats, rural voters, and Hispanics.)

Additionally, Coloradans understand the need to keep pace with technology and do not want to be left behind.

• Ninety-one (91%) of Coloradans believe the most up to date technologies are needed to keep up with other states.
• 83% agree laws and regulations governing communications technologies should be updated to reflect modern times.

Methodology
RBI Strategies & Research conducted a telephone survey of 500 active voters in Colorado. Interviews were conducted April 17 ? April 20, 2011 by Standage Market Research, a market research firm specializing in telephone survey interviewing. Respondents were randomly selected from a list of registered voters, purchased from Voter Contact Services, who voted in the 2010 General Election or registered after the date of the election. The margin of error for a survey of 500 interviews is ?4.4% at the 95% confidence level. The margin of error is higher for subsamples within the full sample. Other sources of error not accounted for by the stated statistical margin of error include, but are not limited to, question wording, question order, and refusal to be interviewed. Sample was weighted by registered political party to more accurately reflect the make up of active voters in Colorado.

About the Coalition for a Connected West
The mission of the Coalition for a Connected West is to educate consumers and policy makers about emerging communications issues; promote policies that foster competition and innovation, and result in more consumer choice, access to technology, lower prices and better service; and serve as a voice for consumers on communications issues at the state and local level.

Source: http://www.connectedwest.org/regulation/cw-applauds-introduction-of-colorado-telecommunications-modernization-act-of-2012/

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