A proposed California state law, set to amend a bill introduced in January 2025 by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner (D), would mandate that Internet service providers (ISPs) offer $15 monthly broadband plans to low-income households, packing download speeds of at least 100Mbps and upload speeds of 20Mbps. Unveiled on March 24, 2025, via an amendment shared with Ars Technica by Boerner’s office, the bill mirrors New York’s affordable broadband law—effective since January 2024—but ups the ante with higher speed thresholds. As broadband lobbyists brace for a ripple effect across states, California’s move could reshape ISP offerings, though it faces stiff opposition and an uncertain path to passage.
The amendment, expected to hit the official record by early next week, stipulates: “Every California Internet service provider shall offer for purchase to eligible households within their California service territory affordable home Internet service that meets minimum speed requirements.” Eligible households—those with at least one resident in programs like SNAP or Medi-Cal—would get plans capped at $15, inclusive of taxes and fees, with speeds “sufficient to support distance learning and telehealth.” ISPs must also advertise these plans prominently online and via mailers, a step beyond New York’s law, which offers $15/25Mbps or $20/200Mbps options without upload mandates. “This is about equity—100Mbps ensures real access,” a Boerner spokesperson told Ars, eyeing a January 1, 2026, start date, with annual ISP reports due from 2027.
Broadband groups like USTelecom, reeling from New York’s upheld law—twice affirmed by the Supreme Court in 2024—fear a domino effect. New York’s victory, after AT&T axed its 5G home Internet there rather than comply, has spurred copycats: Massachusetts pitches $15/100Mbps or $20/200Mbps, Vermont mirrors New York at $15/25Mbps or $20/200Mbps. California’s 100/20Mbps bar, though, outstrips them all, pressuring giants like AT&T, a DSL and fiber provider tethered as a “carrier of last resort” for landlines, unlike its New York exit.
ISPs cry foul, warning of profit hits—cable nets once banked $7 billion yearly from bundled subscribers (Forbes, 2022)—and telco briefs to the Supreme Court last year predicted “more rate regulation” would tank investment. Yet, with streaming at 43.5% of U.S. TV (February 2025) and T-Mobile’s 5G SA boosting rural reach, demand for affordable speed soars. Boerner’s office is mulling a small-ISP exemption, but details lag.
California’s bill, if passed, could serve 39 million residents—AT&T’s 10Mbps DSL ($55/month) or Spectrum’s 300Mbps ($49.99-$89.99) dwarfed by this mandate. New York’s precedent looms large, but California’s aiming higher, and pricier, at $15. Passage? TBD, but the stakes are sky-high.
Please follow us on Facebook and X for more news, tips, and reviews. Need cord cutting tech support? Join our Cord Cutting Tech Support Facebook Group for help. You can find Luke on X HERE.