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2017 Legislature

Fiber optic expansion bill headed to Nevada governor

The bill is sponsored by Gov. Brian Sandoval’s Office of Science, Innovation and Technology. (Thinkstock)
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By Ben Botkin Review-Journal Capital Bureau
May 17, 2017 - 2:20 pm
 

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Assembly unanimously voted Wednesday on a bill that could spark increased growth of the state’s fiber optic network.

Senate Bill 53 would allow the Nevada Department of Transportation and telecommunications companies to engage in “fiber trading” to help grow the state’s infrastructure. For example, a company allowed access to the state’s right-of-way along a highway to lay fiber optic cable could give the state access to part of its fiber optic system, such as a tower or miles of fiber elsewhere.

The bill is sponsored by Gov. Brian Sandoval’s Office of Science, Innovation and Technology. The bill, which has also passed the Senate unanimously, now goes to the governor’s desk.

Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-0661. Follow @BenBotkin1 on Twitter.

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