Wireless carriers and industry groups warned the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) against expanding its nearly 30-year-old carrier of last resort (COLR) rules to cover broadband, citing legal and technical limitations, in comments filed Friday (docket R.24-06-012). The filings came in response to an administrative law judge’s request for comment on two April workshops about proposed changes and the current landscape. While AT&T and others pushed to eliminate COLR obligations in areas with competition, consumer advocates argued that the rules remain essential to ensure universal access to basic voice service as the CPUC weighs changes.
Industry and public interest groups disagreed on a proposed California Public Utilities Commission decision that would set service quality standards for telecom. Their comments about the proposed decision, which Commissioner Darcie Houck wrote in April, were posted Monday (docket 22-03-016).
Several industry and consumer advocacy groups asked the California Public Utilities Commission to establish streamlined rules and ensure consumer protection as it considers revisions to technical regulations concerning the commission's facilities for interconnected VoIP service providers. In comments posted Tuesday (docket R2208008), some said they intend to participate in the CPUC's May 28 workshop to further discuss definitions of such facilities. Some also raised concerns about the commission's apparent direction toward providers operating in small independent local exchange carrier (ILEC) territories.
A proposed California Public Utilities Commission decision would require AT&T to pay The Utility Reform Network (TURN) $259,173 following the carrier's failed efforts to end its carrier of last resort (COLR) and eligible telecom carrier obligations (see 2502050049). The decision, written by Administrative Law Judge Thomas Glegola, may be considered at the CPUC's May 15 meeting. It noted that AT&T failed to meet its legal obligations or burden of proof to support its request "multiple times during the proceeding." AT&T's request was "effectively an overhaul of the Commission’s COLR rules" and "would have had significant and possibly detrimental impacts on disadvantaged communities throughout California." The proposed decision also noted that TURN's involvement in the proceeding "resulted in a unique contribution to the record about the availability and viability of alternatives to AT&T, which was a central issue and finding of the commission's final decision dismissing the application."
The failed legal challenge to New York's low-cost broadband law (see 2412160039) provides a route for California to adopt similar laws and policies, the California Public Utilities Commission's Public Advocates Office wrote Tuesday. It said a New York-like affordability requirement of $15 per month for low-income consumers would save such subscribers of the state's four largest providers -- AT&T, Comcast, Cox and Charter Communications -- close to $100 million annually. A low-cost broadband requirement "would effectively cut these broadband bills in half," it said. The financial impact on broadband providers "would be minimal," since low-income consumers represent a small part of their overall revenue, it said, adding that a $15 requirement would reduce the California-based revenue of the four companies by less than 1%.
Verizon and Frontier urged the California Public Utilities Commission not to expand the scope of its proceeding on Verizon's purchase of Frontier. The companies met with aides to Commissioners John Reynolds and Darcie Houck, per a filing Thursday. The companies opposed a coalition's request to consider whether they complied with a "right of first offer" rule (see 2502060056). The request is "superficial" and "extraordinary under any circumstances," the ISPs said.
A draft order from the California Public Utilities Commission would extend the agency's statutory deadline to amend certain California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) programs. The proposed decision, overseen by Commissioner Darcie Houck, would extend the deadline by one year, until March 5, 2026. "The commission requires time beyond the current statutory deadline to consider party comments and appropriate implementation of any changes," the item said.
The Utility Reform Network and Center for Accessible Technology asked the California Public Utilities Commission to amend the scope of its proceeding concerning Verizon's purchase of Frontier. The groups said in a joint motion Tuesday that the commission should consider whether Frontier violated a condition granting a right of first offer to "purchase Frontier property to tribes and local governments by entering into negotiations with Verizon before notifying rightsholders of its decision to sell its utility property." The groups also asked that the scoping memo reflect the interests of Verizon ratepayers.
The California Public Utilities Commission adopted a scoping memo and ruling on changes to its carrier of last resort (COLR) rules (see 2410310044). The ruling Tuesday clarified that broadband was subject to the scope of the proceeding. "It seems appropriate, given the current state of the market, to consider broadband availability when evaluating COLR withdrawal," wrote Commissioner John Reynolds. The memo required parties to "schedule monthly meet-and-confer sessions" until June. "The purpose of these monthly meetings is to develop parties’ joint stipulations on policy proposals that all parties believe the commission should adopt as part of this proceeding."
The California Public Utilities Commission approved $48 million in last mile broadband funding Thursday. It selected eight projects through its last mile federal funding account grant program to serve disadvantaged and low-income communities. “We are putting these funds to work, generating quality jobs, bolstering our economy, and building fast, reliable, and affordable broadband infrastructure,” said CPUC President Alice Reynolds. The commission also approved $32.5 million as part of the program last week [see 2501170039).