Gonzalez, Aguiar-Curry Merge California Broadband Efforts
Two California lawmakers with competing broadband bills last session will co-author a single bill to revamp and fund the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF). Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D) Monday introduced SB-4 (see 2012030032). Gonzalez’s previous bill stalled in the Assembly,…
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where member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D) had a different CASF bill (see 2008310034). "We each made great individual progress this year in building support for universal connectivity in, and funding for, both urban and rural communities,” said Aguiar-Curry. “Together ... we will deliver a 21st Century program that will support advances in distance learning, telehealth services, remote work, and small business.” Other supporters, all Democrats, include Senate Majority Leader Robert Hertzberg; Sens. Mike McGuire, Scott Wiener, Anna Caballero, Henry Stern, Nancy Skinner and Maria Elena Durazo; and Assembly members Buffy Wicks, Eduardo Garcia, Lorena Gonzalez, Luz Rivas and Wendy Carrillo. SB-4 would require the California Public Utilities Commission prioritize projects in unserved areas with at most 10 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload speeds, with a goal of upgrading those places to at least 100 Mbps downstream. It would remove the existing 2022 funding sunset on CASF and require a maximum surcharge of 23 cents monthly per access line. The CPUC raised the CASF surcharge to 1.019% of intrastate revenue in October. The California Cable & Telecommunications Association has no position yet. It looks forward to working with Gonzalez "on broadband policy that will benefit all Californians," emailed CCTA President Carolyn McIntyre.