Public Advocates Urge California Broadband Plan; Industry Raises Jurisdictional Concerns
The California Public Utilities Commission should write a broadband plan, said the agency’s independent Public Advocates Office (PAO) in comments posted Tuesday in docket R.20-09-001. The agency opened the rulemaking last month to get more involved in broadband despite jurisdictional…
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questions (see 2009180038). The CPUC should assess whether current state subsidy funds will be enough and consider contribution revisions, PAO said. Small LECs warned not to take an overly generous view of jurisdiction. Charter Communications urged the CPUC to focus on removing regulatory barriers, including those on permitting and pole access. If the CPUC is considering utility-style broadband regulation, it “risks exceeding its jurisdiction and interfering with federal law,” the company warned. Crown Castle said “the quickest and most cost-effective reform” would be to require local and state authorities to approve broadband permits within 90 days, with a deemed granted remedy if the shot clock runs out. California’s previous governor vetoed a bill to streamline small-cells deployment by preempting localities in the right of way.