Maine puts buy net neutral requirement on state, but not local agencies

2 July 2019 by Steve Blum
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Network neutrality is on the books in Maine. Governor Janet Mills signed legislative document 1364 into law last week. When it goes into effect later this year, the new law will require Internet service providers to sign net neutrality agreements when they do business with state agencies. They’ll have to pledge not to block or throttle Internet traffic on the basis of content, or engage in paid prioritisation – in other words, create fast lanes for their own content or for other customers…

E. “Net neutral service” means fixed or mobile broadband Internet access service that is provided without engaging in any of the following:
(1) Blocking of lawful content, applications, services or devices, subject to reasonable network management practices;
(2) Throttling; or
(3) Paid prioritization.
F. “Paid prioritization” means management of the network of an Internet service provider that provides broadband Internet access service to directly or indirectly favor some traffic over other traffic, either in exchange for monetary or other consideration from a 3rd party or to benefit an affiliated entity.

Net neutrality obligations do not apparently extend to local governments, however. The law applies to “a department, agency or instrumentality of the State” but not to “political subdivisions”, which is how local governments and agencies are usually referred to in Maine’s laws.

Maine’s net neutrality law is likely to have more practical impact than the version California passed last year. Senate bill 822 was challenged in federal court as the ink dried on governor Jerry Brown’s signature, and attorney general Xavier Becerra agreed not to enforce it until court challenges to the Federal Communications Commission’s repeal of net neutrality are complete, a process that could go on for several more years. A companion bill – SB 460 – which had the same kind of net neutrality purchasing requirements as Maine’s law was killed by lobbyists from AT&T, Charter, Comcast and other big telecoms companies that write big checks to California’s lawmakers.