ISPs Fear Other States Following NY on Affordable Broadband Act

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2024 – Broadband providers looking to block New York’s Affordable Broadband Act are worried other states would enact similar laws, they told the Supreme Court last week.

“If the ABA were to take effect, it would be a watershed moment,” the New York State Telecommunications Association wrote in an Oct. 30 reply brief. “Many state legislators and bureaucrats would surely then follow New York’s lead.”

The law mandates ISPs offer service at $20 per month or less to eligible low-income households, or less depending on the speeds. New York Attorney General Letitia James agreed to hold off on enforcing the law until the high court decides whether it will grant the industry group’s request to review a Second Circuit case upholding the ABA.