Cutting California Teleconnect Support for Telecom Taxes Would Hurt Schools, Says CENIC
A proposal to end California Teleconnect Fund (CTF) support for taxes and fees “will have a significant and immediate negative impact on schools, libraries, and community colleges,” said the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC). The California Public…
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Utilities Commission posted comments Wednesday in docket R.13-01-010 on proposed changes to the schools-and-libraries program. Dropping coverage for surcharges would require publicly funded entities “pull resources from other publicly funded portions of their programs to pay for this increase,” CENIC commented. Schools participating in the previous administration's Broadband Infrastructure Improvement Grant program may fall out of compliance with a requirement the school pay monthly telecom costs in exchange for the BIIG program covering nonrecurring costs, it said. The change would hurt small community-based organizations (CBOs), commented The Utility Reform Network. “Taxes and fees for communications services can constitute a significant portion of a bill.” Proposed additional document production also would burden small CBOs, TURN said. The commission should limit funding of offsite mobile data services for CBOs, except healthcare organizations, said the CPUC Public Advocates Office. “Authorizing CTF to fund a CBO’s mobile data services for use at places other than the CBO’s approved location, which is where the community obtains services, risks CTF funds to waste, fraud, and abuse" and isn’t needed, the office said. Telecom industry groups supported electronic submission of claims. CPUC should set a deadline of July 1, 2020, to complete a web-based portal for applications, claims and data requests, said the California Association of Competitive Telecommunications Companies. The California Cable Telecommunications Association said the agency can make the program more efficient through technology as long as costs don't get out of hand. “State technology initiatives frequently face lengthy delays and enormous cost overruns,” warned CCTA, noting Teleconnect’s budget doubled over the past decade to more than $128 million. "A costly technology initiative, if not properly planned and effectively targeted to create cost-savings and efficiencies, could rapidly use up precious program dollars.” Don't require staff annually request data from carriers or post companies' Teleconnect information online, CCTA said. “Nothing in the record indicates that CTF customers are suffering from a lack of information or are unable to make informed decision[s].” The CPUC last month extended the deadline for reviewing Teleconnect to July 15 (see 1903280024).