Montana Becomes First State to Enforce Net Neutrality

More than a month ago, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had voted 3-2 in order to repeal the net neutrality rules the agency had established around a couple of years ago. It was back in November of last year when the FCC had first announced a proposal to ditch the 2015 net neutrality rules.

It goes without saying that advocates for equality and fairness in the information superhighway were not too happy with the FCC’s decision. But there is hope -- just this week, Steve Bullock, the Democratic Governor of Montana, has signed an executive order that will basically have every web service provider with state contracts in the Big Sky Country to abide by net neutrality rules.

Bullock’s signing of this executive order effectively makes Montana the first ever state in America to push back against the FCC’s repeal of said net neutrality rules. The rules were adopted during the administration of then President Barack Obama, and were put in place to prevent Internet service providers from stopping or slowing down access to the world wide web, or charging businesses a fee in order to reach their intended audiences faster than their rivals (who may not be able to afford such a fee).

Various groups had praised the 2015 rules, including consumer advocates, non-profit organizations, and even tech companies like Google and Facebook, saying that with net neutrality implemented, access to the Internet is fair and equal for all. Wireless carriers and cable companies, however, were saying that the net neutrality rules stifled innovation and investment. 

When President Donald Trump came to power in January of last year, the FCC had a new Chairman in the person of Ajit Pai, while the agency itself now had a Republican majority, most of whom voted to repeal the 2015 rules. Net neutrality supporters now are hoping that Washington, DC will reinstate the regulations.

Montana, however, is not waiting for the nation’s capital. Governor Bullock is now even urging other states in America to follow the Treasure State’s example. Right now, states such as Rhode Island and New York have already drafted similar legislation, particularly in terms of leveraging state contracts in order to regulate broadband service providers. 

But the road ahead will be strewn with hurdles. Almost surely, Montana’s action will be facing some legal challenges in the near future. Service providers will likely argue that having to deal with different Internet related laws in every state will be a nightmare.