The California Public Utilities Commission authorized pilot programs to allow low-income consumers to stack state and federal benefits to pay for wireline and wireless broadband services. At a virtual meeting Thursday, commissioners voted 5-0 for a revised draft (see 2306060048) in docket R.20-02-008. Meanwhile, a consumer group is raising concerns about Verizon’s Friday letter to the commission on its struggles to migrate TracFone California customers to its network. Ensuring those customers weren’t abandoned was a “central issue” in the state commission’s merger review two years ago, Center for Accessible Technology (CforAT) legal counsel Paul Goodman said in an interview.
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.
A New Hampshire legislative subcommittee will work on privacy this summer, the House Judiciary Committee decided at a meeting livestreamed Tuesday. Chair Bob Lynn (R) said he wants to work on combining this year’s HB-314 and SB-255, which the committee retained this year (see 2305030040). One big difference is that SB-255 doesn’t include a private right of action, said Lynn, saying he doesn’t think the state should give individuals the ability to sue.
The Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) adopted emergency regulations to extend the Alaska USF (AUSF) until Oct. 29. At a partially virtual meeting Wednesday, commissioners voted 4-0 for draft rules that largely track with a Department of Law (DOL) proposal last month, but with two changes that respond to industry concerns. Also, commissioners unanimously agreed to extend the statutory deadline for docket R-21-001 by 90 days until Sept. 27. This will give the RCA time to adopt a three-year extension through regular procedure. AUSF stakeholders applauded the commission's actions.
The telecom industry warned California regulators not to overstep, in Friday comments on three rulemakings at the California Public Utilities Commission. Litigation is likely if the CPUC ramps up VoIP regulation, said internet-based phone providers in docket R.22-08-008. Meanwhile, in docket R.23-04-006, video franchise holders said there’s no need to revamp how they’re treated under the state’s Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act (DIVCA). Consumer groups fail to support their calls for stricter and more widely applied service-quality metrics for voice, said telecom groups in reply comments in R.22-03-016.
An Oregon privacy bill cleared the Ways and Means joint committee and may go to the Senate floor. The panel unanimously supported SB-619 with a short amendment. "There are a couple things in the bill I'm not happy about, but ... it is a great step forward,” said co-sponsor Rep. Paul Holvey (D) at a webcast meeting Wednesday. Holvey said he has concerns about how individual consumers will be able to recover remedies for harm caused by violations. The bill initially included a private right of action, but a Senate panel removed it last month, leaving the attorney general as the proposed law’s sole enforcer (see 2304040042).
The Regulatory Commission of Alaska declared an emergency, with the state USF set to dissolve later this month. The 5-0 statement at a partially virtual meeting Wednesday tees up the RCA to expedite rules to extend the looming Alaska USF sunset by three years to June 30, 2026. RCA members convened after receiving comments on last-minute Department of Law (DOL) draft regulations that could allow the extension (see 2305100061 and 2305080035).
Texas legislators passed broadband funding and consumer privacy bills before adjourning Monday. Gov. Gregg Abbott (R) has until June 18 to consider many of the bills. "This was a big, important session for rural telecom,” said Texas Telephone Association (TTA) Executive Director Mark Seale in an interview Tuesday.
Florida will lessen limits on telemarketing, potentially reducing the number of class-action lawsuits filed under the Florida Telephone Solicitation Act (FTSA). Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill (HB-761) Thursday loosening state robocall restrictions the same week he announced a presidential run. The new law is likely to lessen autodialer litigation in a state that briefly had some of the tightest restrictions, said telemarketing lawyers.
Massachusetts legislators “need to hear from more parties” on a bill that would require one-touch, make ready (OTMR) in the state, said Senate Chair Michael Barrett (D) at a Joint Telecommunications Committee hearing livestreamed Thursday. GoNetSpeed, a competitive telecom provider, urged the committee to support S-2133. But no other groups testified for or against the bill. The bill would speed network deployment, said GoNetSpeed Manager-Government Affairs Heidi Mahoney: State and federal laws give access to poles, but their owners "often caused unwarranted delays and obstacles.” More than 30 other states follow OTMR, including all other New England states, said GoNetSpeed Chief Legal Officer Jamie Hoare. Having multiple trucks come separately to make poles ready unnecessarily adds weeks and months into the process, he said. Noting the lack of opponents at the hearing, Barrett asked GoNetSpeed what concerns are commonly raised with OTMR. Owners often raise safety concerns, but the process is safe and owners get input in the process, said Hoare: Another common concern is that costs will be shifted to ratepayers, but there has not been evidence of that. Also, the chair asked if GoNetSpeed had asked the Department of Telecommunications and Cable to require OTMR. Hoare said the DTC has an active proceeding, but it’s unclear when it will conclude.
A streaming TV exemption from the state video franchise law passed Friday in Illinois. Another bill could pass soon in Nevada. The Texas House State Affairs Committee heard testimony on a Senate-passed bill Thursday. Several states have enacted or are considering bills to clarify that streaming and satellite TV providers aren’t required to pay local fees, following lawsuits by municipalities in various states against Hulu, Netflix and others.