The New York Public Service Commission is seeking comment on residential and commercial broadband availability, affordability and adoption, the PSC said Monday. The commission scheduled virtual hearings for March 21 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. EDT. Written comments are due April 3 in case 22-M-0313, it said. The PSC suggested comments including on locations lacking services with 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload speeds, locations with only one ISP, locations where broadband costs too much for some consumers or businesses and reasons why residents or businesses don’t subscribe or subscribe to cellular service rather than wired or wireless broadband.

A Colorado Senate panel supported continuing subsidies from Colorado's high-cost support mechanism (HCSM) to a dozen rural telecom providers until Sept. 1, 2024 (see 2301310060). The Colorado Senate Transportation and Energy Committee voted 6-0 for HB-1051 at a livestreamed meeting Monday. The committee unanimously agreed to add the measure to the Senate’s consent calendar, which will allow senators to pass HB-1051 alongside other noncontroversial bills in one vote, without substantial debate or floor amendments.

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission should “avoid rule changes that may exacerbate … uncontrolled growth” of Oklahoma USF (OUSF), CTIA said in Friday comments on a proposal in docket RM 2023-000006. One proposed change would “lower the evidentiary standard for OUSF surcharge increases” by allowing the fund administrator to forgo filing supporting testimony, said CTIA: That would be OK only for proposals to maintain or reduce the surcharge. The wireless industry association also raised concerns with a proposal to give the commission “sole discretion” on whether to hold a hearing to resolve objections to proposed surcharge changes. That, coupled with a proposal that would automatically deny objections if the commission doesn’t act on them within 30 days, would limit stakeholders’ opportunity to disagree with fee changes, CTIA said. Rural carriers proposed making it easier for surcharge changes to take effect. If no objection is filed to the administrator’s recommendation and commissioners choose not to adjust it, the recommendation should take effect in 30 days, said Atlas Telephone, Consolidated Communications and others. If an objection is filed but the commission takes no action on it in 45 days, then the objection should be deemed denied and the administrator’s recommendation should take effect the next day, the RLECs said. With a more efficient process for modifying the OUSF assessment, recipients will likely obtain support in a “more timely” manner, said Oklahoma Corporation Commission staff in a Wednesday rule impact statement. Staff said it doesn’t expect any adverse economic effects to small businesses or increases to compliance costs.

The District of Columbia Council will consider final action on a nomination for Office of Unified Communications director in “not less than 15 days,” said a notice in Friday’s D.C. Register. The D.C. Council will consider a resolution (PR25-0115) to nominate Heather McGaffin to lead the scrutinized 911 center. The Judiciary and Public Safety Committee plans a roundtable on the resolution March 15 at noon, said a revised notice. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) on Feb. 17 nominated McGaffin, who is currently OUC’s deputy director and was the office’s chief of special operations and investigations from October 2020 to February 2022. From September 2015 to October 2020, she worked with Mission Critical Partners to help states with next-generation 911 transitions and other projects. From April 2006 to September 2015, McGaffin handled call taking, dispatching and supervising at the emergency communications center in Calvert County, Maryland. Bowser withdrew previous nominee Karima Holmes in December after D.C. Council members signaled they would reject the former OUC director’s confirmation (see 2212060042).

The California Public Utilities Commission agreed to open a proceeding to consider rules for NTIA broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) grants, the CPUC said Thursday. Commissioners adopted a proposed order released earlier in February (see 2302160020). The rulemaking kicks off “an in-depth public engagement process to develop the roadmap for how these funds will be used in California,” said CPUC President Alice Reynolds. The commissioner seeks collaboration with local governments, tribes, regional broadband consortia, digital equity advocates, labor groups and ISPs, she said. “This outreach is essential and will ensure we are using these funds as effectively and equitably as possible to build sustainable networks that will offer future-proof, reliable, and affordable service to unserved and underserved regions of the state.” Commissioner Genevieve Shiroma said the effort will allow the CPUC to use federal money to address lingering connectivity gaps in rural and urban California.

Representatives of Puerto Rico Telephone Co. (PRTC) cited the importance of ensuring transitional support for network resiliency as proposed in an NPRM (see 2212120053), in meetings with FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington and Wireline Bureau staff, said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-143. PRTC said it “identified specific resiliency measures in the municipalities for which it did not win Uniendo support for which frozen phase-down support will be critical.” Absent an extension of phase-down support, the carrier said it would “either not be able to implement … identified resiliency measures within the specified time frame or would be required to scale back. … Either outcome would impede PRTC’s ability to harden its network in a timely manner, thus harming consumers in Puerto Rico.”

Virginia lawmakers passed telecom bills on robocalls and railroads. The Senate voted 40-0 Tuesday for HB-1504 to require the Joint Commission on Technology and Science to report by Nov. 1 on unwanted calls and texts, with recommendations on allowing consumers to opt out. The House unanimously passed the bill earlier this month. The House voted 99-0 Tuesday to pass SB-1029 protecting railroads from broadband construction interference. The Senate passed the measure Jan. 31. The House on Monday concurred with Senate changes to the similar HB-1752, which passed the Senate Feb. 16 and the House Feb. 6 (see 2302070059).

The Utah Public Service Commission seeks comment on possibly repealing its extended area service (EAS) rule, the PSC said Tuesday. “Rule 347 applies to the establishment or restructuring of EAS or expanded EAS by incumbent telephone corporations,” the PSC said. Comments are due March 23; replies, April 24.

The Washington State Public Works Board clarified timelines and other requirements for its state broadband program’s application and travel processes. The board said Friday it completed a rulemaking to update Washington Administrative Code 399-080-010 as required by a 2022 law. The new rules, which will take effect March 18, also set up an emergency broadband program.

Nebraska should lift state restrictions keeping public power utilities from leasing their dark fiber to ISPs in rural areas, said Sen. Tom Brandt (R) at a livestreamed hearing Tuesday. However, telecom industry groups raised concerns at the unicameral legislature’s Transportation and Telecommunications Committee’s hearing on Brandt’s LB-61. Utilities don’t want to get in the commercial internet business, said Brandt, noting other states have eased similar limits. Nebraska's "dark fiber statutes are antiquated and need to be repealed,” said Brian Adams, Omaha Public Power District chief of staff. The existing law discourages utilities from partnering with others to provide high-speed internet, he said. Other supporters included Allo Communications, Nebraska Farm Bureau, Nebraska Farmers Union, League of Nebraska Municipalities and Nebraska Association of County Officials. Utilities won’t use energy rates to pay for broadband, he stressed. Raising concerns the bill might incentivize overbuilding, Sen. Wendy DeBoer (D) asked if the state’s current limits should remain for served areas. Nebraska Telecommunications Association President Tip O’Neill opposed LB-61, saying it would remove key protections for transparency and fair competition. State law needn’t be changed, he said. Answering a question from DeBoer, O’Neill said limiting the bill to unserved areas might be preferable, but he would have to talk with association members including Lumen and Great Plains Communications. The bill would “undercut competition” by subsidizing broadband overbuilders, preventing ISP challenges and eliminating oversight, said Charter Communications Senior Manager-Government Affairs Dayton Murty. Sen. Bruce Bostelman (R) disagreed with overbuilding concerns. ISPs failed to serve rural Nebraska, he said. “We need to look at any way that can help.”