Bradley County Commissioners said they are ready for a new push with the state Legislature for extending broadband to un-served areas.
Commissioner Dan Rawls said the bill needs to have a "clawback provision" requiring that providers "cannot cherry pick, but have to serve every household."
Commissioner Thomas Crye said the last bill was defeated due to heavy lobbying by AT&T and Charter.
He said the lack of adequate coverage means that city school teachers can have homework assignments in which the students use the Internet, but county teachers cannot.
Commissioner Crye said support for the bill came from Reps. Dan Howell and Kevin Brooks as well as Senator Todd Gardenhire. He said Senator Mike Bell "had a political spin."
Commissioner Terry Caywood said he tried for 20 years to get the Internet on Lower River Road and finally did. However, he said his daughter nearby, with a third grader and sixth grader, is still without it. He said his daughter has decided to sell her home and move to where the Internet is available.
Vice Mayor Jeff Yarber said he has no love for Charter - since they fired him - but he said there are concerns that the bill would bring many utilities into the Internet business to the detriment of private firms.
Commissioner Rawls said it is a misnomer to say that the large Internet providers are private companies. He said they are heavily subsidized by taxpayers.
On another issue, Commissioner Charlotte Peak hit a story in the Chattanooga Times that said a prisoner had to spend the night in a patrol car due to jail overcrowding. She said that did not happen.
However, Commissioner Rawls said there was a text that went out saying there was no room at the jail for any more prisoners.
Vice Mayor Yarber said the new workhouse may help the situation, but will quickly fill up. He said another option is to fit some non-violent defendants with monitoring devices and let them stay home.
County Mayor D. Gary Davis said it will be necessary to get the support of the judges to make the monitoring program work.
Finance Chairman Milan Blake favors adding a $5 court fee to be used for archiving materials.
Commissioner Peak said the family members of criminals usually wind up paying such fees.