California State Senator Scott Wiener said Friday that California has agreed to delay the enforcement of the state's net neutrality law until a U.S court resolves a litigation over a federal order on ending net neutrality protections.
Wiener, who represents the 11th Senate District that covers San Francisco and parts of San Mateo County in northern California, and also sponsors the state's Senate bill, said he supports California Attorney General Xavier Becerra's efforts to allow the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to resolve the appeal of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s order to repeal the neutrality policies.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai overturned last year the agency's 2015 Open Internet Order that internet service providers (ISP) should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favoring or blocking particular products or websites.
Twenty-two U.S. states including California have challenged the FCC's order and vowed to draft their own net neutrality law.
California Governor Jerry Brown in late September signed the state's net neutrality law that prohibits ISPs from blocking or slowing data based on content or from favoring websites or video streams from companies that make extra payment.
Wiener said California's decision to delay enforcing the law, which is set to take force on Jan. 1, 2019, will remain in effect pending resolution of the appeal of the FCC's order ending federal net neutrality protections. The litigation is being processed in the Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals.
"I very much want to see California's net neutrality law go into effect immediately, in order to protect access to the internet," he said.
"Yet, I also understand and support the Attorney General's rationale for allowing the DC Circuit appeal to be resolved before we move forward to defend our net neutrality law in court. After the DC Circuit appeal is resolved, the litigation relating to California's net neutrality law will then move forward," Wiener added.
Considering the Trump administration's decision to end federal net neutrality protections, California has the power and responsibility to protect access to the internet by Californian residents and businesses, said the Senator.
"This fight is about protecting the health, safety, and vitality of our state," he noted.