Senate Passage of Net Neutrality Legislation is a Win for California Small Businesses

The California Senate stood up for small businesses when it passed SB 822, which would establish the strongest net neutrality rules in the nation. Without protections in place to keep the internet fair and open, California’s small businesses would be at a disadvantage when trying to compete with large corporations that have the resources to ensure their websites receive special prioritization from their internet service providers.

This vote was a necessary response to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) December 2017 decision to end national net neutrality protections. Unless that disastrous FCC move is overturned, states must act to protect small firms from losing business because their websites might experience longer load times, or their sites could be blocked entirely from reaching consumers.

The majority of small businesses are worried about this scenario. In fact, Small Business Majority’s scientific opinion polling found 56 percent of small business owners oppose the FCC’s repeal of net neutrality, with nearly 4 in 10 strongly opposing the repeal. The poll also found nearly half of all small businesses say net neutrality is important to the operation of their business.

Maintaining an open internet through net neutrality helps ensure fair and equal access to broadband for both entrepreneurs and consumers alike. We’re glad the California legislature voted in favor of net neutrality, and we hope Gov. Brown signs this critical measure so California’s small businesses and start-ups can compete in a crowded online marketplace.