Ars Technica

A California bill that would impose the nation's strictest state net neutrality law is being replicated in the New York state legislature.

One of the US' most successful mobile broadband providers is acquiring a struggling, smaller competitor, but it needs government approval of the merger. To make their case, the merging companies tell regulators that they can't fully upgrade to the next generation of wireless technology as standalone firms. They must join forces, or US wireless consumers won't benefit from an upgraded network, the companies say.

As streaming video continues to chip away at cable TV subscriber numbers, Comcast is making some of its Internet speed increases available only to customers that pay for both Internet and video service. The week of April 23, Comcast announced speed increases for customers in Houston (TX) and the Oregon/SW Washington areas.

A California bill that would impose the nation's strictest net neutrality law has been approved by another state Senate committee, bringing it closer to passage. The California Senate Judiciary committee approved the bill April 24 in a 5-2 vote, with Democrats supporting the net neutrality rules and Republicans opposing them. The bill was also approved recently by the California Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee despite protests from AT&T and cable lobbyists.

More than four months after the Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal network neutrality rules, the rules are technically still on the books, and we still don't know when they will die their final death. Why are the rules still in place? There's a technical answer related to how Pai structured the repeal, and there is speculation on why Pai structured it that way.