Regulatory classification

State governments are becoming pivotal players in the battle over net neutrality. Gov Phil Murphy (D-NJ) this week became one of the latest to adopta new strategy, signing an executive order that effectively forces Internet service providers (ISPs) that do business with the state to abide by strong net neutrality rules. Rather than directly regulating the broadband industry, the executive order imposes procurement obligations on state agencies.

I am crafting a “net neutrality” bill that will put in place common-sense “rules of the road” that will ensure the Internet is an open, competitive place for people to do business. To those who provide the on-ramps to the Internet, my bill ensures that they will not: (1) block, (2) throttle, or (3) establish paid prioritization.  It further requires Internet service providers to be transparent in their network management practices.  In short, consumers are the ones who decide which websites or applications are best for them, not a third party. 
 

Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO), who opposed the Federal Communications Commission’s repeal of the network neutrality order, said he would not support efforts to restore the Obama-era rules via the Congressional Review Act. “The CRA is a non-starter for me as it defers again to agency rulemaking,” Rep Coffman said at the Incompas policy summit .

The Federal Communications Commission's quest to prove that killing network neutrality is somehow raising broadband investment recently focused on Charter Communications. Charter, the second largest US cable company after Comcast, "is investing more in its broadband network and workforce because of the FCC's Restoring Internet Freedom Order [that repealed net neutrality rules] and last year's tax reform legislation," FCC Chief of Staff Matthew Berry claimed in a tweet Feb 8. But Charter raised its capital investment in 2017 while the net neutrality rules were in place.

Internet Association called for the Senate to preserve a free and open internet with strong, enforceable network neutrality protections. In a letter to the Senate, IA stated its support for the Senate Congressional Review Act resolution to invalidate the Federal Communication Commission’s Restoring Internet Freedom Order and other bipartisan legislation to reinstate strong net neutrality rules.

A bill to prohibit internet service providers from prioritizing or blocking certain websites based on content or hosting platform was killed Feb 6 in a Virginia House subcommittee. The House Commerce and Labor subcommittee voted 5-0 against the bill, with one abstention. VA Delegate Greg Habeeb (R-Salem) chair of the subcommittee, argued that the bill would prompt broadband providers to pull out of Virginia.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut has released its legislative priorities for 2018 and securing state-level net neutrality rules is at the top of the list.  "If the Federal Communications Commission has its way, big telecommunications companies could slow down access to lawful websites they disagree with or charge more money for faster internet access,’’ the ACLU of Connecticut stated in a fact sheet outlining its legislative agenda.

The New England Cable & Telecommunications Association is putting in a plug for federal network neutrality legislation. That came in planned testimony at a Massachusetts Senate Special Committee on Network Neutrality and Consumer Protection Hearing Feb 6. 

What an honor it is, to take part in Safer Internet Day 2018 with you, the future leaders of this state and nation.