Cal. PUC Comr. Susan Kennedy introduced a revised version of the ...

the detailed regulations and implementation rules of the original document. Kennedy was at the forefront of shelving the original bill of rights. Her revised proposal says consumers should have the right to select the service of their choice and to keep their phone number in the process, and to full disclosure of the provider’s 911 capabilities. It also restates general consumer rights to clear and complete disclosure of the benefits and limitations of services, and their rates and terms. It says consumers should be able to buy DSL service without having to also buy the provider’s voice telephone service and have the right to access lawful Internet content without broadband-provider interference. Kennedy proposed that each principle of consumers’ rights be examined to determine whether the rights can be secured through existing laws and regulations or if new ones must be adopted. She said the PUC “went crazy” with its previous document and tried to regulate all the details of interactions between carrier and customer. Kennedy called for comment/reply cycles and evidentiary hearings on use of existing and proposed regulations to enforce consumers’ rights: “The bottom line is that there are many ways in which this commission can protect consumers’ rights. We just have to think outside of the old regulatory boxes.”