State bills to empower electric rural cooperatives to get into broadband are getting support in red states with large underserved rural areas. Mississippi enacted a measure in January (see 1901300026). Bills are on the move in states including Georgia, Texas and Oklahoma. Conservative lawmakers appear to find co-ops more palatable than municipalities as non-telecom entities delivering broadband service, agreed a supporter and an opponent of muni broadband.
A Florida bill meant to tighten the state’s 2017 small-cells law cleared its first hurdle, with the House Energy and Utilities Subcommittee voting unanimously Tuesday to pass H-693. In Maryland, lawmakers appeared to give up passing a small-cells bill this session after industry and localities backed rival bills (see 1902270025). The Florida bill aims to address continuing local barriers to small-cells deployment, clarifies the 2017 law didn’t apply to wireline, and cuts the state’s communications service tax by $130 million, said sponsor state Rep. Jason Fischer (R) at a livestreamed hearing. Since Florida enacted a small-cells law in 2017, “several local governments have not necessarily followed state law or a subsequent FCC order and have either refused to process permits for small-cell legislation or enacted local ordinances that do not comply with federal or state law,” effectively delaying deployment, Fischer said. H-693 “goes way too far,” said Florida League of Cities Senior Legislative Advocate Amber Hughes. “It takes time” for localities to implement everything in the 2017 law, she said. Municipal concerns about H-693 include that the bill reduces protection for communities that put utility lines underground, she said. Responding to local concerns, Fischer said “technology doesn’t know traditional political bounds.” The lawmaker committed to work with localities and industry but warned it’s unlikely everyone will like the final version. In Maryland, lawmakers referred four small-cells bills (SB-713, SB-937, HB-654 and HB-1020) to interim study. That means legislators will work this summer with industry, counties and cities to try to find agreement on 5G deployment, emailed SB-713 sponsor Sen. Pam Beidle (D). “Communication, Collaboration and Consensus! At least that is what we hope will happen.” Maryland lawmakers saw there was no need for legislation, said Best Best local government attorney Gerard Lederer. The Wireless Infrastructure Association “remains actively involved in the legislative process in Maryland," a WIA spokesperson said. "This additional time will allow for further discussions among stakeholders to ensure that all Marylanders can enjoy the benefits of next-generation wireless broadband." AT&T's “goal remains to work with leaders across Maryland to deliver the wireless services their constituents demand today and to lay the foundation for 5G and other innovations," a spokesperson said. Arkansas state Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R) filed a small-cells bill (SB-602) Tuesday. Like similar bills in other states, it would add "deemed granted" language to applications not approved in 60 days for collocation or 90 days for pole modification, installation or replacement. It sets application fees at $100 for each facility or $250 for collocation with a new, modified or replaced pole, and caps annual fees at $270.
State bills to speed up next-generation 911 rollout are gaining steam in Arkansas and Maryland. Widely supported bills heard Tuesday would increase 911 user fees to fund system upgrades.
Utah and New Hampshire legislators killed state net neutrality bills. The Republican-run Utah House tucked HB-490 into its “file for bills not passed” Thursday, days after introduction (see 1903110036). It would have restricted state procurement to companies that follow open-internet rules and made state ISP privacy rules like the FCC regulations repealed by Congress. The New Hampshire House placed the final nail in the coffin on HB-132, adopting by voice vote Thursday a committee report calling the bill “inexpedient to legislate,” meaning it shouldn’t pass this session (see 1902280067). “The ideal is just to keep government out of the marketplace and let consumers decide,” emailed HB-132’s GOP co-sponsor, Rep. Max Abramson. “Unfortunately, large ISP have worked out deals with local politicians to block competition in the ISP marketplace, so we're having to deal with that.”
New York will apply existing pole attachment requirements to wireless providers while the Public Service Commission considers other ways to streamline wireline and wireless deployment in the state, commissioners unanimously decided Thursday. Commissioners voted 4-0 at their livestreamed meeting to partly grant a nearly 3-year-old CTIA petition in docket 16-M-0330 for relief so wireless providers may quickly deploy small cells and distributed antenna systems needed for 5G services (see 1608020029).
Republicans killed a Tennessee net neutrality bill by voice vote at a House Utilities Subcommittee hearing Wednesday. HB-1060 would have restricted state and local government contacts with companies that don’t adhere to open internet rules. Tennessee should protect its residents, who in many places have only one broadband provider, said sponsor state Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D) at the webcast hearing. But Chairman Pat Marsh (R) was skeptical the bill is necessary: “I just have not heard of any problems.” Clemmons responded it’s an “opportunity to be proactive” that doesn’t cost the state anything or harm providers that say they’re following rules. Rep. Clark Boyd (R) said it sounded like a federal issue, but Clemmons said Tennessee can’t rely on national policymakers to do anything in the current political climate. Democratic subcommittee members supported the bill. Tennessee lawmakers often talk about the importance of states' rights, noted Rep. Karen Camper (D). “This is a situation where the state could act” and “maybe it will prompt the federal government to act,” she said. Clemmons said he would ask Gov. Bill Lee (R) about issuing an executive order if his bill didn’t pass. The Democrat last year asked former Gov. Bill Haslam (R) but got no reply, he said.
The FCC should study health risks of 5G RF emissions, city council members in Portland, Oregon, agreed Wednesday. The council, comprised of Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) and four commissioners, unanimously agreed to a resolution asking the FCC to work with the Food and Drug Administration and other federal agencies to revisit the RF emissions issue.
Consolidated Communications resolved issues leading to service-quality probes in Maine and Vermont, and is investing in the northern New England territory it acquired from FairPoint in 2017, executives said in an interview. Customer calls to utility commissions in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont declined, after a surge in late summer 2018, commission data shows. The states heard more gripes after the FairPoint sale (see 1810020045).
An Oregon House panel cleared a state USF measure to establish a broadband fund, increase the maximum surcharge to 7 percent and expand the definition of retail telecom service to include wireless and VoIP. The House Economic Development Committee voted 7-4 Monday for HB-2184, referring the measure to the Revenue and Ways and Means committees. The broadband fund would provide grants and loans in unserved and underserved areas for at least 25 Mbps download/3 Mbps up. The panel adopted an amendment that would cap the fund at $30 million annually for basic phone service and transfer to the broadband fund the lesser of $10 million or the remainder of USF money above that $30 million. Four Republican committee members voted no at the webcast work session. Rep. Christine Drazan (R) wants to let the new state broadband office (see 1812200048) "get up and running, and identify what the projects are and what the actual scope of the need is, before moving forward with a specific measure.” Rep. Kim Wallan (R) wants to see a broadband map before giving money, she said. The Public Utility Commission last year held off voting on requiring VoIP to contribute to state USF (see 1811280057).
State commissions find useful an FCC requirement that VoIP providers give 30 days' notice before applying for numbering resources from a numbering administrator, they replied through Tuesday in docket 18-378. California, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Michigan and North Carolina opposed NCTA’s recommendation to eliminate the requirement as part of the FCC’s biennial review of telecom regulation (see 1902110055). The mandate “enables state commissions to maintain a more accurate assessment of number utilization and conservation and to better anticipate and limit area code exhausts,” replied the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. It's not discriminatory that the rule doesn't apply to traditional voice providers because they're “subject to more substantial state regulatory requirements than interconnected VoIP providers,” said the Michigan Public Service Commission. The North Carolina Utilities Commission doesn't regulate interconnected VoIP, so without a heads' up it would have no knowledge of the state’s VoIP providers, NCUC said. The California PUC and the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission cited useful examples. "A VoIP provider in California in one day asked for over 30 codes in 14 [numbering plan areas]; it sought 4 codes each in 4 of those NPAs," CPUC said. “The CPUC has been working with the provider to attempt to reduce the number of codes requested,” it said. The Voice on the Net Coalition, representing VoIP providers, supported NCTA’s call for elimination. "No number exhaust issues have arisen related to VOIP providers’ requests, all of which are routinely granted," the VON Coalition replied. “This requirement does not apply to other voice service providers.”