Telecom groups end fight against net neutrality

SACRAMENTO >> Telecommunications industry groups on Wednesday ended their bid to block California's net neutrality law that prevents broadband providers from throttling service.

In a federal court filing in Sacramento, the groups and California Attorney General Rob Bonta jointly agreed to dismiss the case.

The move followed a January decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowing enforcement of the 2018 law, which bans internet providers from slowing down or blocking access to websites and applications that don't pay for premium service.

“The case is finally over,” Bonta said in a statement. “With this victory, we've secured a free and open internet for California's 40 million residents once and for all.”

Big telecom companies fought the measure fiercely in court. They argued that the regulations can undermine investment in broadband and introduce uncertainty about what were acceptable business practices.

The Trump administration sued to block California's 2018 law, preventing it from taking effect for years, but the Biden administration dropped that lawsuit.