Ruling opens door for municipal telecom providers.

• Position: News Briefs

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit has overturned a Missouri law preventing municipalities from providing telecommunications services. Unless the ruling is reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court, Missouri localities will now be able to provide telephone, cable television, and Internet services. Although the ruling technically only relates to Missouri, the ramifications potentially extend to states in the 8th Circuit and beyond, where similar legal battles have been raging. Since Congress deregulated the telecommunications industry in 1996, governments across the nation have...