Ntia - GoKawiil

California accepts $1.86B BEAD funds, refuses to drop net neutrality law

California has agreed to take $1.86 billion in federal broadband deployment funding while explicitly refusing the Trump administration's condition that it stop enforcing net neutrality and other telecom rules. The CPUC told NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth in a letter that it will not waive its right to challenge any unconstitutional or unauthorized conditions, and that other state agencies, including the attorney general, remain free to enforce California law against ISPs.

arstechnica.com · 2026-11-03

California CPUC set to exempt ISPs from state net neutrality law to unlock $1.86B in BEAD funds

California's Public Utilities Commission is scheduled to vote on a resolution that would exempt broadband providers from the state's net neutrality law in order to accept $1.86 billion in federal BEAD broadband deployment funding. The Trump administration's NTIA has required all states receiving BEAD money to waive enforcement of net neutrality and rate regulation against participating ISPs statewide, not just in funded areas, for up to 14 years. California and Illinois are the last two states yet to finalize their BEAD funding agreements.

arstechnica.com · 2026-09-16