By Mark Schreiner
A state House committee will consider a bill Wednesday that could make it harder for local governments to provide free Internet service, such as Wilmington's City Port Wi-Fi.
The Public Utilities Committee is set to vote on House Bill 1587, also called the Local Government Fair Competition Act, which would bar cities, towns and counties from subsidizing communication services they provide to the public.
The Wilmington city government provides free wireless Internet access along the Riverwalk and nearby downtown commercial blocks.
One opponent said the bill would particularly hurt small and underserved communities.
"High-speed Internet access is fast becoming a basic public necessity - just like water, gas or electricity," said Rob Thompson, a policy advocate for the watchdog group NCPIRG.
Proponents of the bill are expected to argue that such programs unfairly compete with private companies that sell similar service.
The bill's sponsor, state Rep. Drew Saunders, D-Mecklenburg, did not immediately return messages left at his home and Raleigh office seeking comment.
