Every Nebraskan has access to some kind of broadband Internet service, a representative of the state’s telephone industry told a legislative task force Wednesday.

A recent report to the task force from the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law “vastly underrepresented the amount of competitive broadband available in Nebraska,” said Eric Carstenson, representing the Nebraska Telecommunications Association.

The Brennan Center report indicated that many rural Nebraskans have limited broadband options and some can get only the much slower dial-up service.

For those Nebraskans who can’t get broadband through cable or telephone wires, there is WildBlue satellite service, Carstenson said.

And local telephone companies are quickly moving to provide the faster broadband service to more customers, he said.

The broadband task force, created by the Legislature, is studying whether public utilities should be allowed to compete with telephone companies, cable companies and other private broadband providers in the state. 

The Brennan Center report recommended that public power companies and local governments should be able to provide broadband service in order to give all Nebraskans low-cost options. 

Telephone and cable companies have opposed allowing publicly owned utilities and cities to get into the business.

Carstenson said his report, based on newer data and more companies, shows every Nebraskan has at least one broadband option and very few Nebraskans have limited broadband options.  

Task force members agreed Wednesday that they should look at the issue of broadband availability.

But they were divided over whether the cost to the consumer should also be a factor in their recommendations to the Legislature, due in December.

“Cost is not an issue,” said state Sen. Mick Mines of Blair, a member of the task force.

“We as a task force are charged with the availability of broadband service in Nebraska,” he said.

But the Brennan Center report said that cost to the consumer should be an issue  because low-income and rural Nebraskans need  good Internet access to operate in a modern world.   

Allowing public power companies and local government to get into the business would provide more competition and lower the cost to consumers, the report said.

The Brennan study said Nebraskans are paying between $20 to $100 a month for broadband service.

If people in one community have only one option, at a cost of $50, doesn’t there need to be competition with a lower price, asked Linda Aerni of Columbus, a task force member who owns a private Internet service provider company  and who would like to partner with public power companies.

She also pointed out that telephone companies receive a government subsidy through the universal service fund created with payments made by telephone customers. Nebraska telephone companies received almost $104 million through the federal and state funds in 2003, she noted. 

Reach Nancy Hicks at 473-7250 or nhicks@journalstar.com.

Broadband everywhere

Lincoln has 11 broadband Internet options, Waverly has eight, Hickman has six and Crete has seven, according to a report to a legislative task force from Eric Carstenson, representing the Nebraska Telecommunications Association.

Only 40 communities have just one option. That includes 18 unincorporated communities and 14 with populations of less than 100, the report said.