A centralized database for pole attachments proposed in Maine could reduce costs and help expand broadband, said Crown Castle and other fiber companies. But to work, the PUC must set access and other rules, they said in Friday comments at the Maine Public Utilities Commission. Some smaller utilities resisted mandatory participation in Alden One, a joint use software system developed by pole owner Central Maine Power (CMP).
California Assemblymember Jim Wood (D) wondered if environmental review hurdles to building the state’s middle-mile network might warrant legislative attention. At a California Middle-Mile Advisory Committee virtual meeting Friday, Wood said he doesn’t understand why placing conduit along a highway would require California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and other reviews. “Highway projects already are massively invasive on the environment and there have to have been cultural studies in these highway projects at some point in the past as well,” he said. “Why do we have to repeat things? How much more of an environmental impact could the trenching or the placement of conduit have than building the original highways?” A presentation by California Department of Transportation Division Chief-Design Janice Benton estimated 30 months for permitting, including a 17-month CEQA review. Wood worries about the state finishing projects before it must return federal funding, he said. “If there’s something we need to do more as a legislature to give you more tools to move this thing along, please tell us.” Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva (D) agreed with the need for urgency. “The frustration … or fear is that we’re going to run out of time.” Earlier at the meeting, Quirk-Silva praised progress made and a California budget signed June 30 that included another $550 million for the middle-mile project over the next two fiscal years. It brings total funding to $3.8 billion, “which will be vital in helping the state address the cost increases for the project,” said Mark Monroe, California Technology Department Broadband Middle-Mile Initiative deputy director. The California Public Utilities Commission will start taking applications Aug. 1 for the state’s new $50 million local and tribal technical assistance fund, CPUC program manager Jonathan Lakritz told the committee. On July 1, the CPUC received 99 project applications seeking about $28.6 million total for broadband adoption and digital equity grants, plus 19 applications seeking about $1.4 million in grants for public housing and low-income community projects, he said.
LTD Broadband got at least a temporary reprieve from the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission on a denied application for eligible telecom carrier designation for Rural Digital Opportunity Fund support (see 2205240041). Commissioners voted 2-1 Tuesday to grant LTD a limited rehearing on newly discovered evidence in docket TC21-001. Vice Chairperson Kristie Fiegen (R) voted no, but the other commissioners voted against her substitute motion to deny rehearing. All three agreed not to grant LTD’s request to immediately reconsider their February decision. "We will have some new information,” said Chairman Chris Nelson (R) at the recorded meeting. “Whether it changes anything, I do not know. But my gut tells me that I owe it to the people of South Dakota to at least find out.” Commissioner Gary Hanson (R) said he struggled with what to do, but it seemed most fair to provide an opportunity to present new evidence. Feigen said LTD could have presented technical evidence in the initial hearing showing it had expertise to deploy fast broadband across the state, but the company didn't. Nelson dismissed concerns that LTD’s continued presence could prevent others from getting NTIA broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) funding because he said that money is unlikely to flow for another year and contains “onerous” requirements. Taking the opposite track in a decision last week, the Minnesota PUC agreed unanimously to open a proceeding on whether it should revoke LTD’s previously granted ETC status for RDOF funding (see 2207140047).
SAN DIEGO -- State utility regulators passed a resolution meant to increase affordable connectivity program (ACP) enrollment. The NARUC board adopted the resolution Wednesday after it cleared the Telecom Committee in a unanimous vote Tuesday at the association’s summer meeting. Intensifying economic factors make programs like ACP critical, said committee Chairman Tremaine Phillips in an interview.
SAN DIEGO -- The FCC could open its challenge process for new broadband maps in October, said Consumer and Governmental Affairs Chief Alejandro Roark on a Tuesday panel at NARUC’s summer meeting. Utility commissioners must weigh in on state broadband talks even if they’re led by other agencies, said former FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn on a Monday panel about NTIA’s broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program.
SAN DIEGO -- The California Public Utilities Commission might follow up on disaster resiliency orders that include emergency plan and 72-hour backup power requirements for wireless and wireline industries, CPUC Commissioner Cliff Rechtschaffen told us Monday at NARUC’s summer meeting. On a panel about hardening networks, a wireless industry official disagreed with Rechtschaffen that carriers weren’t doing enough before the CPUC issued rules two years ago.
SAN DIEGO -- States could speed 5G deployment by harmonizing rules for accessing poles and power, state commission staffers were told Sunday by wireless infrastructure industry officials at NARUC’s summer meeting. Meanwhile, the Telecom Staff Subcommittee cleared a resolution meant to increase affordable connectivity program (ACP) enrollment (see 2207080016).
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission agreed unanimously to open a proceeding on whether it should revoke LTD Broadband’s eligible telecom carrier (ETC) status for Rural Digital Opportunity Fund support (docket M-21-133). Minnesota’s Commerce Department and attorney general’s office had recommended opening the review due to concerns raised in a petition by the Minnesota Telecom Alliance and the Minnesota Rural Electric Association and in local government comments (see 2206090024). At the PUC’s livestreamed meeting Thursday, commissioners supported referring the matter to the Office of Administrative Hearings. PUC members requested proceedings be conducted speedily and include discovery and cross-examination of expert witnesses. LTD Broadband tried to persuade commissioners not to investigate at the meeting. LTD is in compliance and on track with obligations in Minnesota, said outside counsel Andy Carlson of the Taft firm. “There is nothing, other than legal or procedural arguments from other states, that is different” from when the PUC last year decided to approve ETC designation, he said. Revoking ETC status would jeopardize $311 million in federal funding, Carlson added. Commissioner Joseph Sullivan disagreed. “It seems like a lot has changed,” if it’s true that three other state commissions rejected ETC requests and LTD defaulted on 30% of bid locations, he said. Carlson said he meant nothing is different in Minnesota. Commissioner John Tuma said the public-interest reasoning for considering a revocation is that LTD having RDOF funding is blocking others from applying for other government cash in the same areas. Minnesota is always allowed to take a second look at ETC designations, which aren’t static, said Assistant Attorney General Kristin Berkland. Chair Katie Sieben raised concerns that there would be no guarantee Minnesota would win back the $311 million if it rejected LTD. Berkland countered that it would also be problematic if that money came into the state, but LTD didn’t carry out its commitments. Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's broadband task force supported opening the proceeding in a Tuesday letter to the commission.
The Texas Public Utility Commission quietly approved a whopping increase to the Texas USF surcharge Thursday. Texas will raise the TUSF revenue-based surcharge to 24% from 3.3% on Aug. 1, commissioners decided on unanimous consent, without discussion, at a livestreamed meeting. Legislators could provide relief soon, said state Sen. Drew Springer (R) in an interview. Industry and a consumer advocate supported broad TUSF contribution changes.
Maryland limits on how a company communicates prices to customers through a digital ad tax law sounds like restricting speech, a federal judge said at a virtual argument Tuesday. After hearing arguments on remaining constitutional issues in U.S. Chamber of Commerce and others’ lawsuit against Maryland’s digital ad tax law (case 1:21-cv-00410-DKC), U.S. District Court in Baltimore Judge Lydia Griggsby said she disagreed the law regulates only conduct.