* Warning: This is an unofficial, introductory copy of the bill.
The official copy considered by the City Council is the first reader copy.
Introductory*
City of Baltimore
Council Bill R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: President Young
A Resolution Entitled
A Council Resolution concerning
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Informational Hearing - Impact of Net Neutrality Repeal on City Operations
For the purpose of calling on representatives from the Mayor’s Office of Information Technology, the Department of Finance, the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore City Public Schools, and the Municipal Telephone Exchange to appear before the City Council to discuss the potential impact of net neutrality repeal on their technology plans and the City’s costs, as well as what steps can be taken to mitigate the risks posed by net neutrality repeal.
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Recitals
Net neutrality, the principle that internet service providers (ISPs) should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favoring or blocking particular products or websites, will officially cease being required by law on April 23, 2018. The current administration’s rollback of Obama era protections for this bedrock internet principle is widely expected to have far-reaching consequences for internet development, innovation, and affordability going forward.
Without net neutrality requirements, ISPs, many of which enjoy effective monopolies in portions of the country, will be able to favor in-house content, require additional payments to access certain sites or types of services, or steer low-income and cost-conscious customers toward ‘internet-lite’ packages that offer acces...
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