The California Public Utilities Commission may vote May 28 on a proposed decision to authorize staff to extend temporary suspension of state LifeLine renewal process “for so long as the renewal processes of other state public assistance programs remain suspended due to the COVID-19 emergency.” Staff could temporarily suspend the non-usage rule as long as the FCC does the same for the federal program, it said. The CPUC could “reimburse providers for the federal subsidies that providers are unable to collect as a direct result of the Program’s suspension of the renewal process beyond the federal suspension period,” it said. The CPUC has been weighing COVID-19 responses via LifeLine and the California Advanced Services Fund (see 2004140013).
Georgia electric cooperatives seeking to provide broadband should develop a cost allocation manual, the Public Service Commission ordered Tuesday. This is under SB-2 enacted last year (see 1904260045).
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) outlined an effort to close the digital divide (see 2004160058) in response to COVID-19. The California Public Utilities Commission will make $25 million from the California Teleconnect Fund available for schools for hot spots and internet service for student households and a previously announced $5 million from the California Advanced Services Fund for devices (see 2004200041), Newsom announced Monday. Amazon, Apple, Verizon, T-Mobile and others committed to provide broadband service and devices for students, he said.
Frontier Communication has until April 30 to respond to a West Virginia service-quality audit, the Public Service Commission ordered Friday. The telco cited COVID-19 and its recent bankruptcy (see 2004150063).
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed a 911 dispatching bill opposed by county public safety officials (see 2001240050). S-7171, enacted Friday, allows certain public universities to route calls from multiline telephone systems to on-campus answering points rather than directly connect them to public safety answering points. Counties remain concerned that on-campus dispatchers lack adequate training and that the law conflicts with Kari’s Law and Ray Baum’s Act, said Steuben County 911 Director David Hopkins.
States have authority to require 72 hours of backup power at wireless cellsites, the Greenlining Institute replied Thursday in docket R.18-03-011 at the California Public Utilities Commission. It disagreed with T-Mobile, which said it’s illegal for CPUC to regulate wireless carriers (see 2004060061). Greenlining cited Communications Act Section 332.
A California task force aims to close the digital divide for students. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond (D) and state Senate Education Committee Chair Connie Leyva (D) will lead the group that will facilitate donations and raise awareness, Thurmond said Thursday. COVID-19 revealed a technology gap for students, he said.
Consumers are “losing the freedom to fix their things,” reported the Open Markets Institute on right-to-repair. Manufacturers “leverage a wide array of legal tactics, predatory designs, and even lawbreaking” to force the public to use in-network repair services instead of independent or do-it-yourself repair, OMI said Monday. “A deadly combination of anemic antitrust enforcement and technological development has allowed manufacturers to purposefully adopt exclusionary practices and cut off the tools necessary for repair.” It urged lawmakers to “ensure that consumers have access to all necessary parts, manuals, and tools, as well as to diagnostic and service software to repair their products.” It wants the FTC to enforce the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act to thwart manufacturers from “illegally limiting or restricting product warranties." The agency organized a “Nixing the Fix” workshop last summer (see 1907160058). It took no action. There has been state legislation.
The California Public Utilities Commission plans to act soon on COVID-19 responses via state LifeLine and the California Advanced Services Fund. “Swift action by the Commission in response to issues that have a nexus with COVID-19 impact mitigation is appropriate,” CPUC Administrative Law Judge Brian Stevens wrote in a ruling emailed Monday to the service list in R.12-10-012. The Communications Division will mail a proposal to be voted on by commissioners modifying the CASF adoption account, said Stevens. Later this month, the agency will release a proposed decision on emergency LifeLine measures for COVID-19, said assigned Commissioner Genevieve Shiroma in a Monday scoping memo in docket R.20-02-008, detailing a schedule for broader LifeLine changes. “This process will reflect our continued commitment to ensure access to voice services across the state, as federal subsidies for voice services decline, and our policy goals for increasing program participation and access to broadband services,” Shiroma wrote. Fund authorizations “will require ... sufficient information from Program carriers.” The CPUC will weigh more funding to spur wireless carriers to meet or exceed federal Lifeline minimum broadband requirements, and “to incentivize carriers to provide broadband packages for wireline participants,” she said. Comments on the scoping memo are due May 4, replies May 26. The agency will host a status conference June 23, with comments due July 7, replies July 17. The CPUC plans to release a PD in August or September, voting at least 30 days later. Shiroma agreed with commenters who asked to priortize revamping the renewals process (see 2004060061). A working group will file a proposal to improve renewals in Q4 2020 or Q1 2021 and the CPUC will issue a proposed decision within 90 days. An external contractor will assess LifeLine Q3 2020-Q2 2021 to find ways to improve participation and renewals, and the commission plans to make a proposed decision on recommendations in Q4 2021, she said.
California commissioners met behind closed doors without any stakeholders Monday to discuss T-Mobile/Sprint, said a California Public Utilities Commission agenda released Friday. The CPUC didn’t comment. Friday, consumer and union opponents opposed the carriers’ motion to withdraw their wireline application, one of two legal moves that laid the foundation for T-Mobile to close its Sprint buy without CPUC approval. The carriers ignore that a state law prohibiting regulating IP-enabled services lapsed in January (see 1909230048), said the CPUC Public Advocates Office, Communications Workers of America and others in docket A.18-07-011. The companies pledged not to combine California operations until they get OK at Thursday's public meeting (see 2004080029). Even if the CPUC grants withdrawal, T-Mobile promises to honor 50 voluntary commitments, including from a memorandum of understanding with the California Emerging Technology Fund, CETF wrote Monday. The deal will close and any conditions can be renegotiated, especially in light of COVID-19, New Street analyst Blair Levin wrote investors Sunday.