Comcast Complains It Will Make Less Money Under CA Net Neutrality Law

October 17, 2018

California's net neutrality law will cause "significant lost revenues" for Comcast, the nation's largest cable company said in a court filing this month.

Comcast described the net neutrality law's potential impact on its ability to charge online service providers and network operators for network interconnection.

"The paid interconnection provisions will harm Comcast's ability to enter into new, mutually beneficial interconnection agreements with edge providers that involve consideration, leading to a loss of existing and prospective interconnection partners and significant lost revenues," Comcast Senior VP Ken Klaer wrote in the filing in US District Court for the Eastern District of California. ("Edge provider" is the industry term for websites and other online platforms, such as Netflix and Google.)

Comcast submitted its filing on October 3 as part of the broadband industry lawsuit that seeks to overturn California's net neutrality law (SB 822), which is slated to take effect on January 1, 2019 unless the court grants a stay halting implementation. Comcast's filing is meant to support the industry's request for an injunction that would halt enforcement of the law while litigation is pending.

California enacted its net neutrality law because the FCC repealed federal net neutrality rules at the request of ISPs, including Comcast.

Read more at Ars Technica

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