New York $15 Internet Mandate Has Providers Worried

Associations representing large and small broadband providers are presenting a united front in opposition to New York’s requirement that providers offer a low-income internet service for $15 a month. In a prepared statement, six telecommunications provider associations said they support efforts to connect all Americans to broadband and that they are “committed to providing affordable options and a variety of plans to meet every family’s needs.” They added, however, that they are “disappointed” by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals decision to uphold New York’s mandatory $15-a-month offering. The associations said the mandate is rate regulation and implied that it isn’t needed because the industry is competitive. The associations issuing the statement include:

• ACA Connects
• CTIA
• New York State Telecommunications Association
• NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association
• Satellite Broadcasting & Communications Association
• USTelecom

In the statement, the associations urged Congress to “maintain support for low-income Americans on a nationwide basis”—an apparent reference to the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which has paid $30 a month toward the cost of internet service for low-income households but which is set to run out of funding in May.