Wireline ISPs urged California Senate appropriators to support a bill to revise the California Public Utilities Commission’s review process for California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) grant applications, at a hearing Monday. AB-2749 would streamline the CASF program with federal funding coming, said USTelecom lobbyist Yolanda Benson at the livestreamed Senate Appropriations hearing. The Electronic Frontier Foundation opposes AB-2749 (see 2205240048). The committee agreed to move the bill to its “suspense file," a category reserved for bills deemed to be costly and that will be taken up before a Friday fiscal-committee deadline. The committee also sent to suspense AB-32 to keep temporary telehealth changes made on an emergency basis during the COVID-19 pandemic (see 2105170030); AB-1262, which seeks to restrict use of recordings or transcriptions of what users say to or in the presence of smart speakers; and AB-2750 to require the CPUC to develop a state digital equity plan by Jan. 1, 2024. California appropriators sent many other communications bills to suspense last week (see 2208030056 and 2208010060).
Adam Bender
Adam Bender, Senior Editor, is the state and local telecommunications reporter for Communications Daily, where he also has covered Congress and the Federal Communications Commission. He has won awards for his Warren Communications News reporting from the Society of Professional Journalists, Specialized Information Publishers Association and the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. Bender studied print journalism at American University and is the author of dystopian science-fiction novels. You can follow Bender at WatchAdam.blog and @WatchAdam on Twitter.
Alaska found holes in the broadband serviceable location fabric the FCC is using for upcoming maps for determining Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding, Alaska officials told us. Also, some states initially had problems accessing the fabric created by the FCC’s contractor CostQuest. GCI Communications initially raised the potential for gaps, telling the FCC the "potential consequences for Alaska are serious.”
Revised draft rule changes on emergency service network reliability will be due Sept. 7, Colorado Administrative Law Judge Conor Farley said at a partially virtual hearing Friday. State 911 Program Manager Daryl Branson said workshops involving industry and other stakeholders are nearly complete. The group has been seeking consensus on changes meant to improve basic emergency service (BES) network reliability and set a tariff-based mechanism for funding network improvements (see 2206090050). Two more workshops are scheduled for Aug. 9 and 16, Branson said. Farley, Branson and parties agreed to deadlines of Sept. 19 for comments and Sept. 30 for replies on the upcoming revised draft rules. The PUC would then have a public comment hearing 11:30 a.m. Oct. 13, the ALJ said.
The Oregon Public Utility Commission voted 3-0 for wildfire mitigation rules for utility poles, at a virtual meeting Thursday. A 2021 state law required PUC regulations. The Oregon PUC order will include a 25% surcharge that electric utilities may assess to pole-attaching entities for repairs or remediation of ignition risk on collocated facilities. CTIA and the Oregon Cable Telecommunications Association (OCTA) sought a 15% surcharge or limiting the 25% surcharge to certain poles or types of problems, said a PUC memo on proposed rules: Staff recommended keeping it at 25% to incentivize companies to fix issues quickly but also to allow a waiver process. Commissioners agreed. Also, the PUC supported CTIA’s suggestion that complaints filed by utilities should include an explanation about how a claimed violation is causing increased wildfire risk. And it agreed with OCTA to clearly require utilities to contact third-party equipment owners before determining facilities are abandoned.
The California Public Utilities Commission should consider affordability metrics in the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) and other communications proceedings, California Public Utilities Commissioner Cliff Rechtschaffen said Thursday. The CPUC voted 5-0 at a livestreamed meeting to apply an affordability framework across its regulated utilities (docket R.18-07-006). Communications companies resisted adopting metrics for their sector (see 2207290007 and 2207110030). “Affordability in the communications context is a little bit different and a little bit more complicated because there are multiple providers and different types of communications services,” said Rechtschaffen. “We don’t regulate them the same way we regulate our gas and electric and water utilities, but it’s nonetheless an essential utility service in today’s society and economy, and we need to understand the affordability challenges faced by vulnerable, low-income communities … in this space.” Also, the CPUC voted 5-0 to adopt a consent agenda including a proposed order to allow AT&T to discontinue residential landline service in Frontier Communications territory (see 2207210010).
Massachusetts inmates might be denied free phone calls with their families due to a disagreement between Gov. Charlie Baker (R) and the Democratic-controlled legislature. The California legislature will decide this month the fate of a similar bill that was opposed by sheriffs. California’s Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday teed up a vote on that measure, a few broadband bills and two industry-opposed social media bills.
California could risk losing broadband funding if it grants a consumer group petition to require low-cost broadband plans for everyone, ISPs warned this week. The California Public Utilities Commission received responses Monday in docket R.20-09-001 on advocates’ petition to modify an April decision on rules for the state’s $2 billion last-mile federal funding account (FFA). Industry also clashed with consumer groups, in reply comments in docket R.20-02-008, on how California LifeLine subsidies interact with federal programs.
The internet industry raised alarms with a California social media bill as state Senate appropriators teed up the bipartisan measure for possible vote next Thursday, at a livestreamed hearing Monday. The Appropriations Committee could also soon vote whether to advance to the floor three other website regulation measures focused on children, plus a bill to implement the national 988 suicide prevention hotline and a proposal to require standards for emergency alerts.
The California Public Utilities Commission is readying a state budget for $5 million in planning funds from NTIA for the broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program, CPUC Communications Division Director Rob Osborn told the California Broadband Council at a Friday virtual meeting. States must submit their planning budgets by Aug. 15. The $5 million is meant to cover costs required to create BEAD five-year action plans. The CPUC submitted its letter of intent to participate in BEAD July 1, Osborn said. All states and territories filed letters by the July 18 deadline (see 2207130047). Osborn believes California is in a “pretty strong position” compared with other states because of all its work on its $6 billion Broadband for All effort, he said. The California Department of Technology submitted its digital equity planning grant application July 11 and expects the state will receive funding in late September or early October, said Scott Adams, CDT deputy director-broadband and digital literacy: The state would then have one year to develop a digital equity plan.
The California Privacy Protection Agency will oppose the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA) as drafted, plus any other federal privacy bill that preempts California, CPPA board members decided unanimously Thursday. The board authorized staff at a virtual meeting to weigh in on HR-8152 and other federal privacy bills. Former FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz (D) urged the board to compromise on preemption.