AT&T’s move to withdraw its fixed wireless service offering from New York after the state's 2021 Affordable Broadband Act took effect "was its own decision," a New York Public Service Commission spokesperson said in an email Tuesday (see 2412160039). Moreover, the "state’s largest broadband providers have opted to continue to do business" in New York, the spokesperson added.

The California Public Utilities Commission approved $32.5 million in new broadband grants Thursday. Three projects will receive a collective $28 million through the state's last-mile federal funding account grant program. The remaining funding will be awarded through seven grants supporting digital literacy and broadband adoption efforts. “These grants represent a perfect example of what we are trying to achieve in order to close the digital divide, especially in areas that have historic need," said Commissioner Darcie Houck: "It is necessary to not only build broadband infrastructure, but we also have to make sure everyone is able to use it."

A Vermont bill would establish net neutrality rules for VoIP and broadband providers (see 2501090008). State Rep. Laura Sibilia (I) introduced the bill, HB-11, last week and referred to the Committee on Energy and Digital Infrastructure. The bill would establish net neutrality rules effective Oct. 1 and require providers to submit annual copies of reports of consumer complaints to the state attorney general beginning Jan. 1, 2027.

Pole attachment travails are a particular barrier to broadband network deployment in West Virginia, said Annie Stroud, Generation West Virginia broadband program director. During a Fiber Broadband Association webinar Wednesday, she said that along with issues like the state's high poverty rate and challenging topography, county and municipal governments often have limited capacity in such areas as permitting. Accordingly, subsidized projects' timelines could get delayed because of the pole attachment process. There also is a risk of losing time-sensitive grant funds, she said. Pole attachment issues are exacerbated by some network operators not making proper attachment requests and pole owners not complying fast enough. She said there also aren't enough local engineers to submit and review applications and there isn't a clear regulatory path in the state for handling disputes. The state public service commission has assembled a pole attachment task force. Proposed solutions include considering a mediation process for disputes, changes in pole inventory reporting and a list of approved contractors, she said. The task force final report is due this week.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) announced a statewide public broadband network during her state of the state address last night. The Excelsior Broadband Network will build and connect public broadband assets throughout the state. A new fiber line will run the full length of the New York Thruway, according to Hochul's plan. American Association for Public Broadband Executive Director Gigi Sohn welcomed the news. The investment is a "significant win" and "clearly illustrates a positive trend" of states "committing to broadband access."

The Delaware Department of Technology and Information (DTI) approved projects by Verizon and Comcast to deploy broadband to more than 5,700 homes and businesses, Gov. Bethany Hall-Long (D) said Thursday (see 2501140055). Construction by the two providers will begin around June "once permitting and statements of work are finalized," said a news release. The projects will be supported through BEAD funding and nearly $90 million in matching funds between the two providers.

Louisiana became the first state to receive NTIA approval for its final BEAD proposal, the agency announced Monday (see 2312150047). It is now eligible to use its more than $1.3 billion allocation to connect about 140,000 homes and businesses. It's a "major milestone for the BEAD program," said NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson. On Tuesday, NTIA approved Delaware's final plan for its more than $107 million to connect 5,721 homes and businesses.

Frontier and Verizon urged that the California Public Utilities Commission "adopt an efficient schedule" for its proceeding regarding Verizon's $20 billion all-cash deal to purchase Frontier (see 2409050010). The companies met virtually with aides to Commissioner John Reynolds, per an ex parte filing posted last week. They sought approval by October and "underscored that a delay in California would impact the national transaction as a whole, and delay bringing benefits to consumers." The companies also noted that Frontier is "under financial pressure" and the transaction will allow it to continue fiber deployment.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) expects bipartisan support for a forthcoming bill restricting cellphones in schools. The governor and Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) announced support for that and other kids’ tech bills during a livestreamed press conference Monday. "Social media and cellphones in the hands of young people are fueling a mental health crisis in our state,” said state Sen. Rita Sanders (R), adding that phone usage correlates with lower test scores. The senator’s bill would direct Nebraska’s education department to develop a policy for limiting phone usage in schools.

A New York bill would give the state Public Service Commission authority over net neutrality and monitoring ISPs' compliance. State Sen. Kevin Parker (D) introduced SB-1545 last week and it was referred to the Energy and Telecom Committee Friday. The measure would prohibit state and local agencies from procuring services from ISPs that aren't in compliance.