Virginia privacy and broadband bills cleared their origin chambers Friday. The House voted 89-9 for HB-2307, which would let consumers access, correct, delete and obtain copies of personal data, plus opt out of targeted advertising. Delegates voted 99-0 for HB-2304 to make permanent a pilot program letting electric utilities petition the State Corporation Commission to provide broadband to unserved areas. The Senate voted 28-7 that day for the similar co-op bill SB-1413 and 36-1 for SB-1334 to open an existing broadband pilot program to municipalities and government-owned broadband authorities (see 2101260028).
Local government groups supported a proposed California pilot to require investor-owned utilities to install fiber when rebuilding facilities after a wildfire or other natural disaster. “With AT&T’s announcement that it will no longer offer DSL service, and has no plans to build upgraded infrastructure in areas that are without alternative offerings (such as fiber), IOU installed conduit may be the only opportunity for these residents to have access to adequate broadband connectivity,” Rural County Representatives of California commented Monday in docket 20-09-001 at the California Public Utilities Commission. Also backing the proposed pilot, Next Century Cities said the CPUC should consult localities, teachers and librarians on how to use a $1 million. CTIA raised “serious concerns” with the proposed pilot, saying it would “interfere with competition in contravention of California and federal laws requiring the Commission to safeguard competitive neutrality in the communications marketplace.” Energy ratepayers shouldn’t finance such construction, CTIA said: “Communications companies, as significant energy ratepayers, should not be required to fund the overbuilding of their networks.”
New Jersey senators supported a proposed commission to study municipal broadband. The Senate voted 32-1 Thursday for A-850, which cleared the Assembly over the summer (see 2008110023). The Assembly must concur with Senate changes before the bill can go to Gov. Phil Murphy (D).
AT&T “updated our [Connect America Fund Phase II] submissions for Mississippi in December,” a spokesperson emailed Wednesday evening. Then-FCC Chairman Ajit Pai indicated in a Jan. 15 letter to House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., that the commission is “reviewing” Mississippi Public Service Commission claims that the carrier sent false information to Universal Service Administrative Co. and will need to “correct” the record by March 1 (see 2101270074). AT&T “will report additional Mississippi locations by March, as per the FCC’s rules, and we are pleased that we met the FCC’s end of year 2020 location requirement,” the spokesperson said now.
The Arkansas House voted 94-0 to lift municipal broadband restrictions Thursday. The Senate unanimously supported SB-74 Tuesday (see 2101260049). It goes next to Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R), whose office didn’t comment.
USTelecom backs a petition led by the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition urging the FCC to let schools temporarily use E-rate funds for remote learning (see 2101260055). “We need to use every tool available to close the Homework Gap," an association spokesperson emailed Tuesday evening.
Nearly 22 million older Americans lack home broadband, Older Adults Technology Services reported Wednesday. Black and Latino older Americans are 2.6 and 2.4 times, respectively, more likely to be offline than whites. “America is failing to close the digital gap for older adults," said Executive Director Thomas Kamber. And 40% of older Americans who died of COVID-19 lacked access to online resources. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said lawmakers must "act to increase affordable access to broadband services and help millions of seniors stay engaged online.”
"Middle mile is not working for the little guy in Rural areas," Alaska Technologies wrote the FCC International Bureau in a posting Tuesday in support of SpaceX's pending modification to allow more than 2,800 planned satellites to orbit at a lower altitude (see 2007140001). Government-subsidized internet service should become unnecessary in rural Alaska once SpaceX's Starlink is fully operational, it said.
Advertisers recoiled at requiring opt-in and a private right of action in a proposed North Dakota privacy bill (HB-1330). Different state approaches to privacy “harm both businesses and consumers by creating complex regulation leading to increased compliance costs that are almost certain to be passed on to consumers,” blogged Dan Jaffe, Association of National Advertisers group executive vice president-government relations, Tuesday. Washington state legislators also are debating consent and enforcement provisions (see 2101220043).
Virginia municipal and electric cooperative broadband bills cleared the Senate Commerce Committee Monday. The panel voted 14-1 for SB-1334 to open an existing broadband pilot program to municipalities and government-owned broadband authorities. The committee voted 12-3 for SB-1413 to make permanent a pilot program allowing electric utilities to petition the Virginia State Corporation Commission to provide broadband to unserved areas.