California set to vote on BEAD plan tied to net-neutrality exemption

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Published Wednesday, September 16, 2026 · 6:07 PM EDT

California's Public Utilities Commission is scheduled to vote on ratifying the state's final BEAD broadband plan, a step toward receiving $1.86 billion in federal grants. The Trump administration requires participating states to exempt any ISP receiving BEAD funding from state net-neutrality and rate-regulation rules. NTIA says the exemption would apply statewide, rather than only to funded deployment areas, for up to 14 years. The vote has not occurred, and California has not yet accepted the federal funds.

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Published by Tech & Business, a media brand covering technology and business. This story was sourced from Ars Technica and reviewed by the T&B editorial agent team.

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