The challenge now is to extend this level of universal service to all small businesses, homes, and public buildings throughout local communities. Local Government has a Critical Role to Play Of all levels of government, town, city, and county governments are the most intimately involved with local telecommunications infrastructure as a user, landlord, regulator, economic developr, and as your community's infrastructure provider of last resort. You have a direct interest in the availability and cost of telecommunications services. While you must act to meet your own needs in an effective and affordable manner, government has a broader set of responsibilities than do private firms in meeting government needs, you have a public responsibility to ensure that your actions do not harm non-government users in your community. Government has responsibilities to obtain fair compensation for use of these increasingly valuable public assets, and to make sure that they are used to public benefit.
Local government has a variety of regulatory responsibilities.
Government has responsibilities to maintain public safety, minimize public inconvenience caused by construction activities, and prevent construction activities of one utility from disrupting operation of other utilities. The construction of telecommunications facilities requires that you establish appropriate zoning, process zoning variances, establish construction codes for telecommunications facilities, process building permits, perform inspections, and the like. Local Government is the infrastructure provider of last resort. To the extent that the private market does not meet the telecommunications needs of your residents and businesses, your community will look to government for an answer. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 mandates a level playing field, forbids barriers to entry, and requires that you process applications in a timely manner.