Last week, a California Assemblymember who had sponsored legislation for a broadband affordability law abruptly withdrew the legislation. 

But what really killed the broadband affordability bill in California? Was it opposition to the proposed legislation from within the state or pressure from the Trump administration?

The Bill Was Advancing Until…

Modeled on New York’s Affordable Broadband Act (ABA), the California Affordable Home Internet Act was first introduced in January. It aimed to require Internet service providers that operate in the Golden State to offer a $15 per month broadband service plan for income-eligible households.

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The proposed legislation was introduced as AB 353 by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner and was initially supported by the California Alliance for Digital Equity (CADE).

Over the intervening months, CADE and proponents of the bill offered resources and recommendations on how the bill could be made more effective than the ABA, hoping to avoid the pitfalls that advocates were seeing with the rollout and implementation of New York’s law.

On June 4, the California bill advanced through the state Assembly and moved on to the state senate by a 52-17 margin.

Last week, a California Assemblymember who had sponsored legislation for a broadband affordability law abruptly withdrew the legislation. 

But what really killed the broadband affordability bill in California? Was it opposition to the proposed legislation from within the state or pressure from the Trump administration?

The Bill Was Advancing Until…

Modeled on New York’s Affordable Broadband Act (ABA), the California Affordable Home Internet Act was first introduced in January. It aimed to require Internet service providers that operate in the Golden State to offer a $15 per month broadband service plan for income-eligible households.

Image

The proposed legislation was introduced as AB 353 by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner and was initially supported by the California Alliance for Digital Equity (CADE).

Over the intervening months, CADE and proponents of the bill offered resources and recommendations on how the bill could be made more effective than the ABA, hoping to avoid the pitfalls that advocates were seeing with the rollout and implementation of New York’s law.

On June 4, the California bill advanced through the state Assembly and moved on to the state senate by a 52-17 margin.

Last year we noted how “scrappy” Island residents in Maine were taking matters into their own hands and building their own fiber broadband networks despite massive financial and logistic challenges. One such community, Isle au Haut, says it has completed its fiber deployment with ample help from locals – and federal and state grants.

After a decade of planning, several dozen residents of the island (with a summer population of around 300) recently celebrated a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 28, alongside build partners that included the Island Institute, Axiom Technologies, and Hawkeye Fiber Optics.

The deployment required the construction of a new six mile undersea fiber run, the creation of a new central switch station near the town landing, and last mile fiber deployment to residents currently connected to the power grid. All overseen by the The Isle Au Haut Broadband Committee, first established back in 2018.

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In 2022, Isle au Haut was awarded a grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, (NTIA) with matching funds contributed by the State of Maine and the Maine Connectivity Authority.

Last year we noted how “scrappy” Island residents in Maine were taking matters into their own hands and building their own fiber broadband networks despite massive financial and logistic challenges. One such community, Isle au Haut, says it has completed its fiber deployment with ample help from locals – and federal and state grants.

After a decade of planning, several dozen residents of the island (with a summer population of around 300) recently celebrated a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 28, alongside build partners that included the Island Institute, Axiom Technologies, and Hawkeye Fiber Optics.

The deployment required the construction of a new six mile undersea fiber run, the creation of a new central switch station near the town landing, and last mile fiber deployment to residents currently connected to the power grid. All overseen by the The Isle Au Haut Broadband Committee, first established back in 2018.

Image

In 2022, Isle au Haut was awarded a grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, (NTIA) with matching funds contributed by the State of Maine and the Maine Connectivity Authority.

Last year we noted how “scrappy” Island residents in Maine were taking matters into their own hands and building their own fiber broadband networks despite massive financial and logistic challenges. One such community, Isle au Haut, says it has completed its fiber deployment with ample help from locals – and federal and state grants.

After a decade of planning, several dozen residents of the island (with a summer population of around 300) recently celebrated a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 28, alongside build partners that included the Island Institute, Axiom Technologies, and Hawkeye Fiber Optics.

The deployment required the construction of a new six mile undersea fiber run, the creation of a new central switch station near the town landing, and last mile fiber deployment to residents currently connected to the power grid. All overseen by the The Isle Au Haut Broadband Committee, first established back in 2018.

Image

In 2022, Isle au Haut was awarded a grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, (NTIA) with matching funds contributed by the State of Maine and the Maine Connectivity Authority.

Last year we noted how “scrappy” Island residents in Maine were taking matters into their own hands and building their own fiber broadband networks despite massive financial and logistic challenges. One such community, Isle au Haut, says it has completed its fiber deployment with ample help from locals – and federal and state grants.

After a decade of planning, several dozen residents of the island (with a summer population of around 300) recently celebrated a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 28, alongside build partners that included the Island Institute, Axiom Technologies, and Hawkeye Fiber Optics.

The deployment required the construction of a new six mile undersea fiber run, the creation of a new central switch station near the town landing, and last mile fiber deployment to residents currently connected to the power grid. All overseen by the The Isle Au Haut Broadband Committee, first established back in 2018.

Image

In 2022, Isle au Haut was awarded a grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, (NTIA) with matching funds contributed by the State of Maine and the Maine Connectivity Authority.

Last year we noted how “scrappy” Island residents in Maine were taking matters into their own hands and building their own fiber broadband networks despite massive financial and logistic challenges. One such community, Isle au Haut, says it has completed its fiber deployment with ample help from locals – and federal and state grants.

After a decade of planning, several dozen residents of the island (with a summer population of around 300) recently celebrated a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 28, alongside build partners that included the Island Institute, Axiom Technologies, and Hawkeye Fiber Optics.

The deployment required the construction of a new six mile undersea fiber run, the creation of a new central switch station near the town landing, and last mile fiber deployment to residents currently connected to the power grid. All overseen by the The Isle Au Haut Broadband Committee, first established back in 2018.

Image

In 2022, Isle au Haut was awarded a grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, (NTIA) with matching funds contributed by the State of Maine and the Maine Connectivity Authority.

Last year we noted how “scrappy” Island residents in Maine were taking matters into their own hands and building their own fiber broadband networks despite massive financial and logistic challenges. One such community, Isle au Haut, says it has completed its fiber deployment with ample help from locals – and federal and state grants.

After a decade of planning, several dozen residents of the island (with a summer population of around 300) recently celebrated a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 28, alongside build partners that included the Island Institute, Axiom Technologies, and Hawkeye Fiber Optics.

The deployment required the construction of a new six mile undersea fiber run, the creation of a new central switch station near the town landing, and last mile fiber deployment to residents currently connected to the power grid. All overseen by the The Isle Au Haut Broadband Committee, first established back in 2018.

Image

In 2022, Isle au Haut was awarded a grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, (NTIA) with matching funds contributed by the State of Maine and the Maine Connectivity Authority.

Last year we noted how “scrappy” Island residents in Maine were taking matters into their own hands and building their own fiber broadband networks despite massive financial and logistic challenges. One such community, Isle au Haut, says it has completed its fiber deployment with ample help from locals – and federal and state grants.

After a decade of planning, several dozen residents of the island (with a summer population of around 300) recently celebrated a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 28, alongside build partners that included the Island Institute, Axiom Technologies, and Hawkeye Fiber Optics.

The deployment required the construction of a new six mile undersea fiber run, the creation of a new central switch station near the town landing, and last mile fiber deployment to residents currently connected to the power grid. All overseen by the The Isle Au Haut Broadband Committee, first established back in 2018.

Image

In 2022, Isle au Haut was awarded a grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, (NTIA) with matching funds contributed by the State of Maine and the Maine Connectivity Authority.

Last year we noted how “scrappy” Island residents in Maine were taking matters into their own hands and building their own fiber broadband networks despite massive financial and logistic challenges. One such community, Isle au Haut, says it has completed its fiber deployment with ample help from locals – and federal and state grants.

After a decade of planning, several dozen residents of the island (with a summer population of around 300) recently celebrated a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 28, alongside build partners that included the Island Institute, Axiom Technologies, and Hawkeye Fiber Optics.

The deployment required the construction of a new six mile undersea fiber run, the creation of a new central switch station near the town landing, and last mile fiber deployment to residents currently connected to the power grid. All overseen by the The Isle Au Haut Broadband Committee, first established back in 2018.

Image

In 2022, Isle au Haut was awarded a grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, (NTIA) with matching funds contributed by the State of Maine and the Maine Connectivity Authority.