The California Department of Motor Vehicles released draft regulations on equipment requirements, performance standards, safety certifications and other issues for the operation of autonomous vehicles. "These regulations create a framework that allows manufacturers to transition from testing to deployment, promotes the continued development of autonomous vehicle technology, and ensures that autonomous vehicle technology is deployed in a safe and responsible manner on California public roads," said a DMV summary. The draft includes a provision that requires manufacturers to notify operators about data "collected by the autonomous technology that is not necessary for the safe operation of the vehicle." The provision said manufacturers must get written approval from the operator to allow for that collection. The state agency plans two workshops -- Jan. 28 in Sacramento and Feb. 2 in Los Angeles -- to get feedback.

Dominion will provide Verizon with pole license agreements and a survey Dominion referenced in its response in a pole attachment case by Jan. 15, said a filing with the FCC Enforcement Bureau posted Tuesday in docket 15-190. Verizon will file its pole attachment complaint reply by Feb. 9, the filing said. Dominion isn't seeking information from Verizon but reserves the right to file a sur-reply if it feels Verizon's facts aren't supported by documentation.

Residents of Doe Bay on Orcas Island in Washington state banded together to create their own wireless Internet network that gets service to a section of the island not served by an incumbent, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) said. The Doe Bay Internet Users Association gets its signal from StarTouch Broadband Services via microwave from Mount Vernon on the mainland. Via a series of radios mounted on the community's water tower, houses and tall trees, the network serves about 50 homes with speeds of 30 Mbps download and 40 Mbps upload, ILSR said.

The new 959 area code is being introduced in the Connecticut calling region that the 860 area code serves, said a news release from the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. PURA said it approved the area code as an overlay to the 860 region to meet customer demand. Customers won't have to change their existing area code, personal phone numbers, or how they dial calls, it said.

The West Virginia Public Service Commission ruled that Frontier Communications must lease part of its broadband service to rival Citynet, said a PSC order last week in case No. 14-1295-T-C. The commission upheld most of an administrative law judge’s decision requiring Frontier to lease unused fiber to Citynet in several rural communities (see 1410070052). Citynet filed a complaint with the PSC in August 2014, accusing Frontier of trying to shut out competition for high-speed Internet connectivity by not honoring an agreement. Citynet didn't comment Monday. The PSC's order gives Frontier a framework for business moving forward, said a company spokesman Monday. He said there are some cases where Frontier has leased dark fiber to other providers, depending on need and provided there's an existing agreement to do so. "We provide broadband and voice services to all providers, including Citynet, in nearly every area of the state," the spokesman said. "In other instances, including the earlier ruling on a Charleston route that the Commission left undisturbed, Citynet will be expected to make its own investments in fiber optic facilities, just as other providers across the state do for their networks.”

The Alaska Plan is a forward-looking way to improve broadband deployment in the state and should be adopted, said General Communications in an ex parte letter posted Friday in FCC docket 14-58. The plan (see 1511240049) proposes a way to stretch existing universal service support further and retarget support to areas that most need it, while recognizing that Alaska's geographic and infrastructure challenges require a universal service plan to be tailored to the state, it said.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R) announced a $160 million settlement with Frontier Communications to resolve complaints involving Internet speeds provided to consumers, in a Thursday news release. The settlement requires Frontier to invest at least $150 million in capital expenditures to increase Internet speeds across West Virginia and provide access to areas without high-speed service. It also lowers monthly rates for affected consumers and contributes $500,000 to the state’s Consumer Protection Fund. The agreement is the largest independently negotiated consumer protection settlement in West Virginia history, said the release. Morrisey said: “The settlement helps consumers receive the high-speed service they expected, while directing significant monies to help fix connectivity issues that consistently keep our state from achieving economic success.” Between 2013 and 2015, the AG's office received multiple complaints from customers paying for Frontier’s high-speed service, which advertised Internet speeds up to 6 Mbps, said the release. But many consumers said their Frontier service was slow or didn't meet expectations, the AG's office said. The office investigated and found a lot of customers expecting Internet speeds “up to 6 Mbps” actually had speeds of 1.5 Mbps or less. Frontier denied any wrongdoing and signed the settlement to resolve disputed claims without litigation. "We have made a binding legal commitment to continue our strong investment in West Virginia and we have effectively created an additional price tier for certain Frontier Internet Max customers," said Area President Mike Flynn.

NARUC supports the objectives of the Connect America Fund and its Remote Areas Fund and urged the FCC to move as quickly as possible to implement the competitive bidding process for the CAF Phase II and RAF, said an ex parte notice posted Wednesday in docket 10-90 on a meeting with FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai and an aide. During its November annual meeting, the NARUC board adopted a resolution (see 1511100058) asking the FCC to move forward on funding to help ensure the timely availability of broadband facilities to remote areas of the nation, including tribal regions. Separately, the group lobbied Wireline Bureau Chief Matthew DelNero to suggest some clarifying language for a draft order on a USTelecom forbearance petition, which is due for a Dec. 17 vote (see 1511250047).

About a month after 43 Colorado municipalities voted to opt out of the state's broadband law (see 1511040055), the state Office of Information Technology (OIT) launched a portal to give residents and industry a place to find broadband news. A map lets users enter their address and see the options for ISPs in their area and the site allows them to do speed tests. Brian Shepherd, OIT broadband program manager, said the portal is a "one-stop shop" for those in the state who are involved with expanding broadband to more people. “One of OIT’s key goals for our broadband strategy is to coordinate amongst the local and regional jurisdictions within the state, so the website provides a chance for those folks to really see what each other [are] doing, provide a chance to find contacts around the state, and really hopefully focus on collaboration and getting people together,” Shepherd says in a welcome video.

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller (R)wants a ruling, or to know whether the FCC plans to rule, on TracFone's pending emergency petition for declaratory ruling about 911 fees, said a filing in docket 11-42 sent Monday. The request comes from two cases in federal district court where eligible telecom carriers are alleging that Indiana's statewide 911 fee is pre-empted by the Telecom Act as applied to transactions with Lifeline customers, the filing said. TracFone's petition seeks a declaration that states can't impose charges on Lifeline customers or providers.