News and Observer
Cable companies blocked municipal broadband in North Carolina and left a gap. Let others fill it.
Nearly a decade ago , the North Carolina General Assembly approved legislation that essentially blocked municipalities from acting as internet service providers, barring any new or expanded municipal-owned and operated systems. At the time, Wilson had been building its Greenlight system, with lightning-fast internet speeds, and a handful of other North Carolina cities and towns were following suit. The large telecommunications companies – Time-Warner-Cable (now Spectrum), AT&T, and CenturyLink – argued that this amounted to unfair government-subsidized competition.
The feds scrapped their rules for an open internet. Now the fight moves to the state level.
North Carolina should make sure that broadband internet companies don't interfere with residents' access to websites, said State Senator Jay Chaudhuri (D-Wake County). He will file a bill to prohibit broadband internet service providers from inhibiting open access by blocking some sites, charging extra for 'fast lanes', or intentionally slowing or speeding service.