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Montana becomes first state to implement net neutrality after FCC repeal

thehill.com

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Re: Montana becomes first state to implement net neutrality after FCC repeal

#91

Post by toomuchtodo »

joe_the_user wrote: post #60
dboreham wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I live here and have some familiarity with the ISP landscape. I'm going to bet that all* ISPs operating in the state are going to have contracts with the state. *Well, all ISPs of any consequence.

Sure but if push came to shove, if a non-net-neutral approach became a profit center for an ISP, they could afford to jettison those contracts. You would think the state of Montana would/could also put conditions on contracts for using municipal telephone poles in the state (since states have imposed the condition that, say, municipalities can't operate their own ISPs). You'd think but you think incorrectly given the…

Bootstrappy conservative state rolls up sleeves and delivers municipal/coop Internet after being forsaken by for-profit corporation. The news story almost writes itself.

I’m unable to find any financial issues with Montana’s budget, and their bond ratings appear to be adequate to receive a great interest rate in order to borrow for a build out.

Re: Montana becomes first state to implement net neutrality after FCC repeal

#92

Post by wglb »

gonehome wrote: post #74
wglb wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A pretty solo point. I think that story is more about the candidate than any particular party. Note one of the comments in the article: Both papers, the Missoulian and the Billings Gazette, issued scathing denunciations of Gianforte.

He did win though, so while there may have been unusual circumstances suggested by other commenters - he had some support of the people of the state.

There were a lot of votes cast before the incident, so the outcome might have been different had the incident happened sooner.

Re: Montana becomes first state to implement net neutrality after FCC repeal

#93

Post by someonelse9184 »

AnimalMuppet wrote: post #33
terravion wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love the fact that the announcement couches the order in the state's prerogative to consume services that it deems best fit its needs, which is very slick politically, however that works legally.

I think that the state can do that, yes. It can't say "you have to do this to do business in our state", but it can say "you have to do this to do business with us , the state government". The alternative is that the federal government can dictate which businesses the state governments do business with, which is, to put it mildly, probably not a valid use of federal power.

I think we're far beyond valid use of federal power at this point ?

Re: Montana becomes first state to implement net neutrality after FCC repeal

#94

Post by joe_the_user »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #91
joe_the_user wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure but if push came to shove, if a non-net-neutral approach became a profit center for an ISP, they could afford to jettison those contracts. You would think the state of Montana would/could also put conditions on contracts for using municipal telephone poles in the state (since states have imposed the condition that, say, municipalities can't operate their own ISPs). You'd think but you think incorrectly given the…

Bootstrappy conservative state rolls up sleeves and delivers municipal/coop Internet after being forsaken by for-profit corporation. The news story almost writes itself. I’m unable to find any financial issues with Montana’s budget, and their bond ratings appear to be adequate to receive a great interest rate in order to borrow for a build out.

Twenty one states have enacted laws against municipal broadband, including ... Montana. The FCC under Obama overturned these. Given broadband providers now are effectively getting their wish-list, it seems like these laws may come back in force.

https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/qkvn4x/the-21-law...

Re: Montana becomes first state to implement net neutrality after FCC repeal

#95

Post by [deleted] »

joe_the_user wrote: post #94
toomuchtodo wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bootstrappy conservative state rolls up sleeves and delivers municipal/coop Internet after being forsaken by for-profit corporation. The news story almost writes itself. I’m unable to find any financial issues with Montana’s budget, and their bond ratings appear to be adequate to receive a great interest rate in order to borrow for a build out.

Twenty one states have enacted laws against municipal broadband, including ... Montana. The FCC under Obama overturned these. Given broadband providers now are effectively getting their wish-list, it seems like these laws may come back in force. https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/qkvn4x/the-21-law...

[deleted]

Re: Montana becomes first state to implement net neutrality after FCC repeal

#96

Post by RangerScience »

joe_the_user wrote: post #60
dboreham wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I live here and have some familiarity with the ISP landscape. I'm going to bet that all* ISPs operating in the state are going to have contracts with the state. *Well, all ISPs of any consequence.

Sure but if push came to shove, if a non-net-neutral approach became a profit center for an ISP, they could afford to jettison those contracts. You would think the state of Montana would/could also put conditions on contracts for using municipal telephone poles in the state (since states have imposed the condition that, say, municipalities can't operate their own ISPs). You'd think but you think incorrectly given the…

I like both Montana's plan, and this plan.

Re: Montana becomes first state to implement net neutrality after FCC repeal

#97

Post by devindotcom »

client4 wrote: post #80
dboreham wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I live here and have some familiarity with the ISP landscape. I'm going to bet that all* ISPs operating in the state are going to have contracts with the state. *Well, all ISPs of any consequence.

Hey Now! ...but that's fair, the little ISP's were already for Net Neutrality. * * ISP Owner in MT

Good to hear, since the FCC was so loud about a handful of small ISPs like yours being vaguely against the Title II rules.

Re: Montana becomes first state to implement net neutrality after FCC repeal

#98

Post by devindotcom »

joe_the_user wrote: post #94
toomuchtodo wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bootstrappy conservative state rolls up sleeves and delivers municipal/coop Internet after being forsaken by for-profit corporation. The news story almost writes itself. I’m unable to find any financial issues with Montana’s budget, and their bond ratings appear to be adequate to receive a great interest rate in order to borrow for a build out.

Twenty one states have enacted laws against municipal broadband, including ... Montana. The FCC under Obama overturned these. Given broadband providers now are effectively getting their wish-list, it seems like these laws may come back in force. https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/qkvn4x/the-21-law...

They may, except the FCC is also abandoning considerable authority by throwing away Title II, so it may not be able to overturn (or over-overturn, or whatever) those and other rules — and perhaps may not even be able to enforce its prohibition against state/city net neutrality rules.

Re: Montana becomes first state to implement net neutrality after FCC repeal

#99

Post by joshuaheard »

jjeaff wrote: post #63
joshuaheard wrote: post #37

The headline is a little misleading. The state is not implementing rules or regulations for net neutrality. It is simply requiring, as a condition of contracting with the state, that ISPs abide by the principles of net neutrality. If an ISP does not have any state contracts, it is free to do whatever it wants under the federal law. Many jurisdictions attach such conditions to entering into a contract with the jurisdi…

So if they choose not to abide by net neutrality, the state will just do without internet service? Seems like the state would be in the same place most consumers are, we don't like it, but there are no alternatives.

I hadn't considered that outcome, but it's certainly possible. However, state governments are large customers to most vendors, so I would think some ISP would step up and get the business.

Re: Montana becomes first state to implement net neutrality after FCC repeal

#100

Post by kelnos »

jnordwick wrote: post #76

For this requirement to have any meaning, Montana would need to be able to enforce it (ie choose another isp). But that would show that the isp landscape isn't owned by monopolies. This would actually seriously undermine many arguments as to why net neutrality needs laws to protect it over what the market can do. I wonder is if we will start to find out that maybe the isp market isn't as closed as we thought - wirele…

> For this requirement to have any meaning, Montana would need to be able to enforce it (ie choose another isp).

Why? Can't they also just fine them in increasing amounts until they comply?

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