This year, the Tennessee state legislature was finally considering a bill that would have let EPB expand its coverage (without providing it any special tax breaks or grants; EPB is profitable and doesn’t rely on taxpayer money). Rather than pass that bill, Tennessee has just passed the “Broadband Accessibility Act of 2017,” which gives private telecom companies—in this case, probably AT&T and Comcast—$45 million of taxpayer money over the next three years to build internet infrastructure to rural areas. – Jason Koebler, MOTHERBOARD http://ift.tt/2o9fvWp