Any Internet Service Provider (ISP) that does business with New Jersey will need to follow the principles of net neutrality, according to Gov. Phil Murphy’s executive order that sets a path toward a free and open internet.
The executive order comes as a response to a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision to rescind net neutrality and potentially limit access to the Internet.
“We may not agree with everything we see online, but that does not give us a justifiable reason to block the free, uninterrupted, and indiscriminate flow of information,” Murphy said. “And, it certainly doesn’t give certain companies or individuals a right to pay their way to the front of the line. While New Jersey cannot unilaterally regulate net neutrality back into law or cement it as a state regulation, we can exercise our power as a consumer to make our preferences known.”
New Jersey is now the third state to mandate that ISPs adhere to net neutrality rules or lose the ability to contract in state, following New York and Montana.
What if none qualify? Or what if the only qualifying company is a much higher bid?