Tennessee lawmakers in the state's Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor unanimously approved a bill this week that would bar the state public utility commission from regulating rates and terms for ISPs and VoIP providers as carriers. State Sen. Shane Reeves (R) introduced the measure, S-556, last month.
A subcommittee of the Iowa House Economic Growth and Technology Committee unanimously approved a bill Wednesday that would require ISPs to submit quarterly reports to customers regarding advertised and actually offered speeds in their geographic location. The bill, H-551, would also require ISPs to provide refund credits based on any differences in the speeds provided versus what was advertised.
A Texas bill would prohibit contracts for communications infrastructure with foreign-owned companies that the governor designates as adversaries. State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R) introduced the bill, S-1847, on Tuesday. It would also bar contracts for "remote sensing technology" and other critical infrastructure. The legislation would give the governor authority to designate any country or person that is also designated a foreign adversary by the secretary of Commerce as a threat, barring contracts with associated companies.
The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority received 239 applications for its BEAD program, the agency said in a Monday newsletter. It said 97% of BEAD-eligible locations received at least one bid, and 85% received two or more bids. Application reviews are currently underway.
A Florida bill would establish "a state-funded grant program" within the Office of Broadband to expand broadband access in farming communities. State Sen. Mack Bernard (D) introduced the bill, S-1642, on Friday. It would "fund broadband infrastructure projects" for public-private partnerships, local governments and cooperative organizations to reach underserved farmers.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) issued a proclamation on Friday establishing March 24-28 as Broadband Appreciation Week. The announcement comes as the Wireless ISP Association prepares to host its second annual WISPAmerica conference in Oklahoma City. The proclamation notes that the state's broadband expansion efforts have led to a 28% improvement in access. "Oklahoma recognizes that continued success in fully closing the digital divide relies on using all technologies, including fixed wireless, fiber, and satellite technologies," it said.
A Rhode Island bill would adopt several transparency and consumer protection rules for broadband providers. A coalition of 10 Democratic state senators introduced S-0377 on Wednesday. If adopted, it would require ISPs to file information to the Rhode Island Commerce Corp., provide broadband mapping data annually and introduce recordkeeping requirements for service outages. The bill would also authorize the corporation to collect fees from ISPs to fund the data collection. "The amount of the fee shall be determined by the corporation based on the total cost of administering this program," the bill said.
The Alabama Senate Children and Youth Health Committee voted 8-1 Thursday for a bill requiring phone and tablet manufacturers to turn on internet filters for children by default.
Implementing price controls in the broadband marketplace "creates more problems than it solves," Seth Cooper, Free State Foundation's director-policy studies, wrote in a blog Thursday, urging states to avoid the practice. Citing AT&T's withdrawal from New York and Starlink's petition for an exception to the state's new broadband affordability law, Cooper said the measure "discourages market entry by new providers using innovative technologies." The benefits of below-market rate requirements are "outweighed by the harmful consequences of deterring needed investment and reducing competition," he said: "Other states should instead promote an environment favorable to competition, investment, and innovation, with targeted subsidies as an option for connecting Americans in need."
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.