WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Four industry groups representing major internet providers and cable companies filed suit on Thursday seeking to block Vermont’s law barring companies that do not abide by net neutrality rules from receiving state contracts.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Vermont by groups representing major providers like AT&T Inc, Comcast Corp and Verizon Communications Inc and follow a suit from the four groups earlier this month challenging a much broader California law mandating providers abide by net neutrality rules.
The groups are also challenging an executive order on the issue signed by Vermont Governor Phil Scott. Other states, including New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Montana and Hawaii, have also adopted similar rules to bar state contracts from companies not complying with net neutrality protections.
Scott said he was disappointed in the suit against the state “for taking action to protect our citizens and our economy.” He said he believes Vermont residents “have a right to free and open access to information on the internet. In the absence of a national standard to protect that right, states must act.”
The Vermont lawsuit was filed by the American Cable Association; CTIA - The Wireless Association; NCTA - The Internet & Television Association; and USTelecom - The Broadband Association.
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