public policy

California can offer a cure for midwest derangement syndrome

2 September 2018 by Steve Blum
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Monterey County’s former U.S. congressman, Sam Farr, used to call it “midwest derangement syndrome”. That’s the condition that seems to afflict federal agriculture department subsidy programs, including broadband development grants and loans.

It’s real. The agriculture department’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) has a long track record of favoring small states with lots of small farms in small counties. In other words, the sort of rural communities that predominate in the midwestern and southern U.S.

California has places where you can find traditional family farms with traditional farm families in residence.… More

One net neutrality bill wins, one loses in the California legislature

1 September 2018 by Steve Blum
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One strong network neutrality bill – senate bill 822 – was passed by the California senate yesterday, but a second one – SB 460 – failed in the assembly.

SB 822 was carried by senator Scott Wiener (D – San Francisco). It reinstates the “bright line” net neutrality rules adopted in 2015, then scrapped in 2017 by the Federal Communications Commission: no blocking, throttling or paid prioritisation. It also takes a couple of general rules from the 2015 decision and makes them specific: no non-neutral zero rating and no evading net neutrality regulations via upstream interconnections to other companies.… More

Net neutrality wins California assembly vote, now it’s on to the senate

31 August 2018 by Steve Blum
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Senate bill 822 was approved on a lopsided vote in the California assembly yesterday. The tally was 61 ayes, 18 noes, 1 abstention. All democrats and five republicans voted aye; the noes and the abstention (which has the same effect as a no) were all republicans.

The bill, authored by senator Scott Weiner (D – San Francisco) reinstates network neutrality regulations in California: no blocking, throttling, paid prioritisation and non-neutral zero rating of consumer broadband service, both within an Internet service provider’s network and at the point of connection to other networks.… More

California WISPs win $149 million in FCC broadband subsidy auction

30 August 2018 by Steve Blum
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Internet service providers – most, if not all, wireless – will get $149 million in federal subsidies to serve 52,000 homes and businesses in California over the next 10 years. The Federal Communications Commission’s Connect America Fund (CAF 2) auction ended this week. Bidders competed for money to provide broadband service in census blocks bypassed by the main CAF 2 subsidy round in 2015.

Although California didn’t proportionately have as many census blocks and locations on the table as some other states, it came out very well in the bidding, gaining 10% of the total money on offer.… More

Good news, bad news, no news for California net neutrality bills

29 August 2018 by Steve Blum
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The good news is that California senate bill 822 won’t – can’t – be watered down or otherwise amended. Last night was the deadline set by the California constitution for making and posting amendments to any pending legislation (short of a declaration of emergency by the governor). Authored by senator Scott Wiener (D – San Francisco), SB 822 would reinstate network neutrality regulations scrapped last year by the Federal Communications Commission. It would outlaw blocking, throttling, paid prioritisation and non-neutral zero rating of consumer broadband service, as well as any attempt by Internet service providers to evade those bans via upstream maneuvers.… More

California net neutrality bill, SB 460, watered down by assembly committee

28 August 2018 by Steve Blum
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The changes made Monday to senate bill 460 were posted earlier today. Instead of requiring all state and local agencies to buy broadband services from companies that abide by network neutrality rules, it now only applies to contracts of $100,000 or more, and contains generous exceptions to that restriction. The amendments were approved by the assembly’s appropriations committee, which often acts as a proxy for assembly leadership – democratic and republican – but were suggested last week in a staff analysis prepared for the assembly privacy and consumer protection committee.… More

One of two net neutrality bills move ahead in California assembly, with unknown changes

28 August 2018 by Steve Blum
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Senate bill 460 was approved yesterday by the assembly appropriations committee, on a party line vote. The legislature’s online information systems says it was passed “as amended”, which means the committee made some changes. The new version of the bill hasn’t been posted yet, and there’s no online video replay – I wasn’t able to listen in yesterday.

SB 460, which requires state and local agencies to only buy Internet service from companies that abide by net neutrality rules, is a companion bill to SB 822, which would establish those regulations and apply them across the board in California.… More

California net neutrality bills hit the final stretch

27 August 2018 by Steve Blum
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It’s five days and counting, to the end of the California legislature’s 2018 session. There are hundreds of bills still under consideration. Not all of them will pass, of course. Some will be voted down, but even more will die a quiet death, for lack of a vote.

Senate bill 822 is not likely to go away quietly. It’s the high profile bill, by senator Scott Wiener (D – San Francisco), that would establish stringent network neutrality rules in California.… More

California legislature to decide privacy, Internet commerce bills

26 August 2018 by Steve Blum
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Consumer privacy, police surveillance, online retailing, bots and social media were all targets of bills introduced this year in the California legislature. One major bill already passed, a couple are dead and the rest are queued up for a decision this week, as lawmakers prepare to finish up the 2018 session on Friday.

Assembly bill 375 established strict consumer data privacy rules. It was signed into law by the governor earlier this year. It’s being tweaked, though.… More

With a week left, California muni broadband bill still on legislature’s to do list

25 August 2018 by Steve Blum
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A bill that allows more types of local agencies to get into the broadband business, and requires such municipal broadband providers to abide by network neutrality principles, awaits a decision by the California senate. Assembly bill 1999, authored by assemblyman Ed Chau (D – Los Angeles), would remove a restriction that makes it all but impossible for community service districts to get into the broadband business.

It also explicitly allows other types of local agencies, such as county service areas and enhanced infrastructure financing districts (EIFDs), to provide broadband services.… More