Today’s Regulatory Mix: Arkansas to Allow Municipal Broadband, California Net Neutrality Injunction Denied, FCC Extends Form 477 March 1st Filing Deadline, House Energy and Commerce GOP Members Urge FCC  to Defend Free Speech and Freedom of the Press 

state of Arkansas SealArkansas to Allow Municipal Broadband 

In an ongoing effort to bridge the digital divide, a new law permits Arkansas municipalities to offer broadband as well as voice, data, video and wireless service.  Governor Asa Hutchinson signed the bill on February 4, 2020, amending the Telecommunications Regulatory Reform Act of 2013.  Previously, such services could only be provided by cable or telephone companies.  

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California Net Neutrality Injunction Denied 

An injunction sought by some of the industry’s largest Internet service providers was denied by a Federal Judge today, opening the door for California to enforce its net neutrality law.  California passed its Internet protection law in 2018, preventing Internet providers from slowing down or blocking access to websites and applications that do not pay for premium service, after the Trump administration eliminated national net neutrality rules.   

Senator Scott  Wiener (D-San Francisco), author of the net neutrality bill, stated that “Today’s federal court ruling allowing California to enforce our net neutrality law is a huge victory for open access to the internet, our democracy, and our economy. The internet is at the heart of modern life. We all should be able to decide for ourselves where we go on the internet and how we access information. We cannot allow big corporations to make those decisions for us.” 

 

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US Congress w flag portico shutterstock_150003068House Energy and Commerce GOP Members Urge FCC Acting Chairwoman to Defend Free Speech and Freedom of the Press 

House Energy and Commerce Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Communications and Technology Republican Subcommittee Leader Bob Latta (R-OH), and other Committee Republicans sent a letter today urging the Acting Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission, Jessica Rosenworcel, to defend free speech and freedom of the press. 

“As Acting Chairwoman of the Commission, it is incumbent upon you to use your position to preserve and protect our fundamental freedoms that are protected by the First Amendment. You can, and must, denounce any attempts by government officials to use their power to threaten a free press at such an important time in our Nation’s history.” 

 

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of an Inteserra Briefing.

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