New York's Affordable Broadband Act Blocked By Federal Judge
What Is The Affordable Broadband Act?
Back in April, Governor Cuomo passed the Affordable Broadband Act, which required internet service providers serving more than 20,000 households to offer low-income residents broadband with download speeds of at least 25 megabits-per-second for $15 a month.
For faster broadband with download speeds of at least 200 megabits-per-second, internet service providers could charge no more than $20.
Those that would be eligible for these rates include New Yorkers who already qualify for free and reduced-price lunch, Medicaid, and supplemental nutrition program (SNAP) benefits
What Happened?
The law was set to go into effect this week, but when a number of telecom companies sued to block the law, New York's Eastern District Judge agreed and issued a temporary injunction, putting the bill on pause.
The judge argued that an enactment is likely to cause “irreparable harm” to telecom companies, especially smaller ones due to loss of revenue and/or civil penalties they may face if they didn't meet the ABA requirements.
So, as of right now, New York's affordable internet plan is on hold until further consideration.
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