Wireless carriers fight ban on throttling firefighters during emergencies

CTIA, the US mobile industry's top lobbying group, is opposing a proposed California state law that would prohibit throttling of fire departments and other public safety agencies during emergencies. CTIA recently wrote to lawmakers to oppose the bill as currently written, saying the bill's prohibition on throttling is too vague and that it should apply only when the US president or CA governor declares emergencies and not when local governments declare emergencies. The group's letter also suggested that the industry would sue the state if the bill is passed in its current form, saying the bill would result in "serious unintended consequences, including needless litigation." Despite CTIA's opposition, the bill sailed through a CA Assembly committee April 24. The bill's next stop is an April 30 hearing with the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee.