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A state Assembly bill that would have mandated low-cost internet service has been shelved, temporarily scrapping the latest push to bring affordable, reliable internet options to the millions of Californians without access.<\/p>\n
Assemblymember Tasha Boerner, <\/b>who represents part of San Diego county, said in a statement that she shelved AB 353<\/a> last week because of President Donald Trump\u2019s changes to the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment program<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough I am pausing my bill for now, I am committed to working with my colleague Sen. [Mar\u00eda Elena] Durazo on her effort to expand the state\u2019s existing Lifeline telecommunications program to allow support for home internet access,\u201d Boerner said.<\/p>\n What would AB 353 do?<\/p>\n The bill, which mirrors a similar New York law<\/a> that went into effect this year, would have required internet companies to offer subscription plans at $15 a month for qualifying low-income households.<\/p>\n If passed, it would have paved the way for more low-income households to access the internet at faster speeds than other affordable plans currently offered at $30 a month.<\/p>\n Advocates estimate that about 3.5 million Californians lack access to the internet<\/a>, with the biggest barrier being affordability.<\/p>\n In Los Angeles County<\/a>, officials estimate 311,000 households have access to the internet only through their cellphones, and 416,000 households have no access to the internet at all.<\/p>\n How did we get here?<\/p>\n The bill\u2019s withdrawal comes after Trump changed requirements under the Digital Equity Act<\/a>, which supported affordable internet legislation. It stripped certain protections such as low-cost service options and DEI-driven requirements.<\/p>\n Boerner said the change introduced legal uncertainty and put at \u201cserious risk\u201d $1.86 billion in federal broadband infrastructure funding.<\/p>\n \u201cPresident Trump\u2019s new rules only serve to benefit corporate internet service providers taking public subsidies at the expense of low-income Americans,\u201d Boerner said.<\/p>\n Where does this leave California’s affordable internet?<\/p>\n Shelving AB 353 leaves only one other state bill on the table to bring affordable internet to millions of Californians.<\/p>\n