Washington, D.C.’s new additional area code is 771. It will overlay the entire 202 code, the D.C. Public Service Commission said Tuesday (see 2009220002). The PSC confirmed a 13-month implementation schedule, including six months for network preparation, six months of customer education and one month -- after a permissive dialing period ends -- when 10-digit dialing becomes mandatory. The agency established a working group to educate consumers and asked that interested participants request to join by Oct. 16. “The 202 area code has been part of D.C. culture for over 50 years and it is not going away,” said Chairman Willie Phillips. “However, we stand ready to assist in a smooth transition to the added 771 area code.” Commissioners voted 2-0 last week to approve the request by the North American Numbering Plan administrator for the overlay and required 10-digit dialing (see 2009160080). "After the working group convenes, the implementation schedule with dates will be finalized and posted for the public," a PSC spokesperson emailed. "This will include the start date as well as when 771 will become available." The overlay may be one of the most significant in years for major metropolitan areas and could lead to a secondary market for 202 numbers, we reported last week. NANPA projected that without relief, numbers in the current D.C. area code would run out in Q3 2022.

The California Advanced Services Fund surcharge may nearly double to 1.019% from 0.56% starting Dec. 1. The California Public Utilities Commission plans to vote on the proposal at its Oct. 22 meeting, the agency said Friday. The change would be effective until Dec. 30, 2022, or when further revised by the CPUC. Comments are due Oct. 12. The legislature failed to pass a CASF bill this session that could have provided additional broadband infrastructure money to the dwindling fund (see 2008310034). That disappointed Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves, who tells us CASF needs more funding (see 2009180038). The agency is working on how to make current funding last until the next legislative session, she said. COVID-19 made it “tricky” to finalize many bills, including the Senate-passed SB-1130 that would have emphasized fiber, she said. “You want to be building for sustainability.”

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities opposed Altice seeking judgment on pleadings in a cable prorating case at U.S. District Court in Trenton. The board’s requirement that cablers prorate bills for cancellation isn’t preempted by federal law, BPU said (in Pacer) Friday. “Congress intentionally left states with the purview to issue consumer protections laws.” The board is simultaneously appealing the district court’s preliminary injunction at the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (see 2009110045).

The Mississippi Public Service Commission got information from AT&T responsive to the agency’s subpoena about what happened with more than $283 million in Connect America Fund support to expand broadband to 133,000 Mississippi locations (see 2009100059), PSC Chairman Brandon Presley said Friday. “We’re continuing our investigation” and will share findings with Universal Service Administrative Co., Presley told us. The PSC is still finding addresses where the company claims it provides service yet denies customers’ requests for installation, he said. Mississippi law and PSC rules "protect against the public disclosure of competitively-sensitive information, including the number of customers we serve," an AT&T spokesperson said. "We have informed the commission that we will provide the requested information subject to those safeguards."

The West Virginia Public Service Commission agreed with Frontier Communications the state's Broadband Council shouldn’t be allowed to intervene in the carrier’s bankruptcy proceeding (see 2009090055). Public interest in voice quality is “adequately represented,” and the council's bringing up broadband expansion would “unduly broaden” the case, said Wednesday's order in case 20-0400-T-PC. The PSC allowed Communications Workers of America and the West Virginia Consumer Advocate Division to participate. An in-person hearing is Oct. 28 at 9:30 a.m. in Charleston.

U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver in Cleveland recused himself Thursday from the trial into allegations that Netflix and Hulu are running streaming services through the public right of way in Maple Heights, Ohio, without proper state authorization and failing to pay 5% quarterly franchise fees to the municipality (see 2008220001). Oliver’s order (in Pacer) gave no reason. The case was reassigned to Judge James Gwin. The complaint seeks class-action status on behalf of all Ohio municipalities.

Foes of California’s net neutrality law show no irreparable harm justifying a preliminary injunction against enforcing its SB-822, state Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) responded Wednesday night to DOJ’s and ISPs’ lawsuits at U.S. District Court in Sacramento. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in Mozilla v. FCC rejected arguments FCC net neutrality rules preempted states, the AG said (in Pacer). "Just as the FCC had no statutory authority to issue its Preemption Directive, it could not have adopted a ‘federal deregulatory policy’ that is binding on the states.” SB-822's author, state Sen. Scott Wiener (D), supported the AG's filing and said President Donald Trump's suit shows "how scary this legislation is to him and his cronies."

The California Public Utilities Commission rejected challenges by AT&T, CTIA and VoIP providers to an August 2019 decision to adopt an emergency disaster relief program (see 1909250022). The CPUC required providers to implement such programs upon a declared state of emergency when a disaster results in service loss, disruption or degradation. Tuesday's ruling disagreed with companies arguing it exceeded state jurisdiction or violated the Constitution’s taking rule. Wireless carriers also seek rehearing of 72-hour backup power rules for high-threat fire areas (see 2009100053).

Washington, D.C., is closer to getting a new area code, in addition to the widely known 202. District of Columbia Public Service Commissioners voted 2-0 Wednesday to approve a request by the North American numbering plan administrator for an overlay of the 202 area code and required 10-digit dialing (see 2009160079). NANPA proposed a 13-month implementation. The overlay may be one of the most significant in years for major metropolitan areas and could lead to a secondary market for 202 numbers, said our Monday report. NANPA projected numbers in the D.C. area code would run out in Q3 2022 without relief. The new vote was taken in a meeting that wasn't webcast live, the contents of which were relayed to us by a PSC representative.

There are 1,096 cable and wireline subscribers out of service in the areas of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi affected by Hurricane Sally, said the FCC disaster information reporting system as of noon Tuesday. No public safety answering points or broadcast stations were down; 0.5% of cellsites were out.