Poles are a critical part of efficient broadband deployment but current processes “can be complex and opaque,” said a Maine Connectivity Authority report released Monday. The state's geography and “rocky terrain” limit providers' ability to install broadband lines underground, the MCA report said. “As a result, the cost to attach cables and equipment on utility poles can represent a material portion of the overall cost to deploy new broadband. Accessing utility poles affordably, efficiently, and safely will be critical to the success of broadband projects across the state.” However, the report said, it’s tough for providers to anticipate project costs and timeframes. “This lack of clarity can lead to cost overruns, construction delays, and potentially projects not even happening at all, reducing the effectiveness of this federal broadband funding.” A 2023 state law required the Maine Utilities Commission to study pole-attachment requirements’ effect on broadband expansion (see 2402160042). The Maine PUC plans to tap research from the MCA report to make final findings and recommendations to the state legislature by Dec. 1.

A West Virginia task force will consider pole attachment rules related to resolving disputes that delay broadband deployment, the state’s Public Service Commission ordered Friday. The state is considering a pre-complaint dispute resolution mechanism like that of the FCC rapid broadband assessment team, the PSC said in docket 24-0703-T-E-CTV-GI. The task force will also consider requiring utilities and pole owners to share pole inspection information with possible attachers and report periodically to the commission on rule compliance and processing applications. “The Task Force will consider issues and impediments that cause delays in processing requests for access to a utility’s poles, ducts, conduits, or rights-of-way, and recommendations to address those issues and/or impediments,” the order said. Also, the group will “consider processes for expediting pole attachment disputes that may delay broadband deployment projects.”

Changes in Kentucky's pole attachment rules “provide more clarity that will likely reduce the potential for friction between pole owners and attachers during the steps leading up to broadband deployment,” the Kentucky Broadband and Cable Association (KBCA) said in a Friday filing at the Kentucky Public Service Commission (docket 2023-00416). The Kentucky PSC posted the emergency amendments on Aug. 16 after reviewing comments (see 2408010031). Cable companies “look forward to working with pole owners to operationalize these amended emergency regulations in the field,” KBCA said.

The California Public Utilities Commission proposed $174.4 million in federal broadband grant awards for 15 last-mile projects in Santa Clara and four other counties. Recommended grantees include three tribal entities, the CPUC said Friday. The commission has a vote planned for its Sept. 26 meeting on two draft resolutions (T-17845 and T-17846) including the recommended awards. The CPUC recommended a $91 million round of federal grants earlier this month (see 2408090016). Commissioners last Thursday agreed on another $237 million in grants using money from 2021's American Rescue Plan Act and the state's general fund (see 2408220044). CPUC members may also vote Sept. 26 on a proposed decision approving volume two of the CPUC’s proposed rules for NTIA’s broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program. The CPUC submitted both volumes of its initial plan to NTIA on Dec. 26, 2023, the draft released Friday noted. During the NTIA’s review of California’s volume two, the federal agency requested changes “on seven separate occasions,” it said. “The deadlines for submitting BEAD applications will be announced by the [CPUC] Communications Division Staff, after the NTIA approves the final eligibility map.” California still needs NTIA volume-two approval to access its $1.86 billion BEAD allocation.

Verizon’s Simple Mobile premiered its LifeLine discount program on Friday targeting California residents. The prepaid carrier is offering a 30 GB monthly wireless plan for as little as $1. The plan previously offered 10 GB/month. With the affordable connectivity program “going away, we wanted to create a best-in-class offer with a best-in-class brand that truly serves our communities,” said David Kim, chief revenue officer at Verizon Value.

The New Mexico Public Regulatory Commission unanimously OK'd an order on program support during 2022 from the state rural Universal Service Fund. The commission voted Thursday.

The California Public Utilities Commission gave the green light Thursday to $237 million in grants for last-mile broadband infrastructure projects across primarily rural areas of the state. The funding comes from 2021's American Rescue Plan Act and the state's general fund. CPUC President Alice Reynolds called the pair of 5-0 votes on resolutions T-17833 and T-17835 awarding the grant applications "a fabulous example of putting these funds to work." Recipients include incumbent providers, communities and tribes. The projects cover more than 30,000 unserved locations in Alpine, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Mateo, Santa Barbara and Tulare counties. The CPUC made $88.5 million worth of similar grant awards in July (see 2407110057).

California and Google reached a public-private agreement to fund news publishers, which advocates are presenting as an alternative to legislation requiring tech platforms to compensate news outlets for use of their content. “California news publishers will be the beneficiaries of a News Transformation Fund, to be administered by the UC Berkeley School of Journalism, providing financial resources that preserve and expand California-based journalism,” said a news release from Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D). Wicks introduced the California Journalism Preservation Act (AB-886), which the California Senate Appropriations Committee was considering. Under the agreement, "nearly $250 million in public and private funding” will be provided over the next five years by the state and technology platforms, “with the majority of funding” going to California newsrooms, the release said. “The goal is to front-load $100 million in the first year to kick-start the efforts.” The investment could increase if more funding becomes available, the release said. The money will go to “California-based state and local news organizations, particularly those serving California local news deserts, underserved and underrepresented communities, and outlets that prioritize California coverage.” The deal also creates a “National AI Innovation Accelerator,” which will provide organizations and communities “with financial resources and other support to experiment with AI to assist them in their work,” the release said. “This public-private partnership builds on our long history of working with journalism and the local news ecosystem in our home state, while developing a national center of excellence on AI policy,” said Alphabet President of Global Affairs Kent Walker. The News/Media Alliance, which has pushed for federal legislation that allows journalism outlets to jointly negotiate with tech companies over content rights, praised the agreement but said it underscores the need for the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (see 2306150053). Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., introduced that bill last year. “Assemblymember Wicks has shown incredible commitment to news publishers, and through her efforts has extracted concessions from one of the world’s largest tech giants,” said NMA President Danielle Coffey in a release. “Google is a dominant monopoly that reaps significant revenue off scraping and repackaging quality news content, depriving publishers of the opportunity to monetize their content and reinvest in journalists,” Coffey said. “Today’s announcement reinforces the need for federal legislation and potential court remedies to address this broken marketplace.”

The U.S. Supreme Court denied a bid to rehear a Voting Rights Act case that sought to overturn a Georgia statute mandating statewide election of members of its Public Service Commission (see 2407190036). A Monday text entry in case 23-1060 said SCOTUS denied the petition from former Atlanta NAACP chapter President Richard Rose and a group of Black voters to reconsider its June decision not to grant a petition for certiorari to review the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling (see 2406240041). The circuit court in July denied petitioners' request for an en banc rehearing of its earlier ruling in favor of statewide election of the PSC members, who represent five separate districts (see 2407100050). Bryan Sells, the petitioners' attorney, didn't comment.

Kentucky ISP Kinetic said Monday it’s collaborating with local authorities after an incident of vandalism earlier this month in Hazard, Kentucky. “This vandalism caused significant disruptions to local telecommunications services, impacting both residential and business customers across the region,” Kinetic said: “The cable has since been repaired. This comes on the heels of more than 66 copper cable thefts throughout the area this year alone.”