The Trump administration is telling states they will be shut out of a $42 billion broadband deployment fund if they set the rates that Internet service providers receiving subsidies are allowed to charge people with low incomes.
The latest version of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) FAQ on the grant program, released today, is a challenge to states considering laws that would force Internet providers to offer cheap plans to people who meet income eligibility guidelines. One state already has such a law: New York requires ISPs with over 20,000 customers in the state to offer $15 broadband plans with download speeds of at least 25Mbps, or $20-per-month service with 200Mbps speeds.
Well, states are still free to do as they wish if they are okay not receiving money from this fund.
Lots of stupid going on with this, but I wouldn’t consider it a violation of the tenth amendment.
Don’t pretend for even a second that this could be applied to anything Republicans like. They’d scream “state’s rights!” and block it.