Virginia: Allows only municipal electric utilities to offer broadband service but not any form of cable TV service.
State law also prohibits municipal providers from subsidizing any of its broadband services and requires them to charge rates in line with private sector costs, effectively preventing publicly-owned network providers from offering even low-cost service to low-income households that is less than what private incumbent providers offer.
Additionally, municipal providers must “comply with numerous procedural, financing, reporting and other requirements that do not apply to the private sector,” as noted by Baller, Stokes, and Lide. Many community networks in Virginia are organized as Wireless Service Authorities.