Greenlight (Internet service)

Regulation

The North Carolina legislature passed a law in 2011 prohibiting municipal telecommunication services, but Wilson was able to carve out an exemption, because Greenlight was already providing such services.

As part of the Commerce Clause of the federal government, federal regulatory power supersedes state authority. State laws which restricted consumer choice of internet access providers were preempted by a Federal Communications Commission order taken on Thursday February 26, 2015. The FCC order relies on section 706 of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, the first federal legislation to regulate the internet. However, the US Court of Appeals Sixth Circuit overruled the order, citing a lack of specific authority in the enabling legislation. The United States Congress would have to intervene to give FCC authority by amending the 1996 Telecommunication Act.

Creation

In order to fund the Greenlight project, the city of Wilson used funds from bonds, instead of taxpayer money.

References

References

1. (2009-04-23). "Time Warner Cable Won't Compete, Seeks Legislation - Slashdot".
2. [https://muninetworks.org/content/time-warner-cable-monopoly-protection-act-heads-north-carolina-governor Time Warner Cable Monopoly Protection Act Heads to North Carolina Governor] 2011-05-05, Retrieved 2020-06-06
3. [https://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByArticle/Chapter_160A/Article_16A.html NC Article 16A Chapter 160A-340.2. Exemptions] Retrieved 2020-06-06
4. [https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/08/in-blow-to-muni-broadband-fcc-loses-bid-to-overturn-state-laws/ In a Blow to Municipalities FCC Loses Bid to Overturn State Laws] ''[[Ars Technica]]'' 2016-08-10, Retrieved 2020-06-06
5. (2013-06-20). "Telecommunications Act of 1996".
6. "Greenlight: Cable, Internet and Phone Service for Wilson, NC".