Douglas Alexander: “According to the Federal Communications Office of Engineering and Technology, having another major player--the power…”

“According to the Federal Communications Office of Engineering and Technology, having another major player--the power companies--has helped to bridge the digital divide. The power companies have the infrastructure to make broadband available nationally. There are a lot of utilities out there that really, really want to do this. It is being offered today in Manassas, VA. The city of Manassas offers high-speed Internet access through their electric company for $26.95 a month. Customers typically pay $30 to $40 a month for DSL service and $40 to $50 a month for Internet access over cable. If we are really talking about taxes on Internet access, we are only talking about $1 to $3 a month, for most Americans, that they would save if we Senators and our fellow Members of Congress go home and say: Look at us. We just banned State and local taxation of Internet access. Well, that will save you $1 to $3 a month. That is not what they are doing, though. They are exempting a whole industry from taxation that most industries pay. But for those who worry about whether high-speed Internet access is going to be available to every single American, it will be available from your electric company soon.”