Cable Raises Safety Concerns About Calif. Resiliency Draft

Proposed California wireline resiliency rules shift the burden of providing power to telecom providers from electric utilities, the cable industry commented Wednesday to the California Public Utilities Commission. CPUC members may vote Feb. 11 on a 72-hour backup power requirement and other resiliency rules for wireline providers (see 2101080040). This “would require wireline providers to provide backup power in extreme fire risk conditions that have been deemed too dangerous for the Commission to require the electric companies to provide power,” said Comcast in docket 18-03-011. Give wireline 18 rather than eight months to implement the policy, said Comcast, adding that the CPUC gave wireless carriers 12 months in a prior resiliency order. Cox, Charter Communications and the California Cable Telecommunications Association made similar comments. Frontier Communications suggested revisions including “a competitively-neutral cost recovery mechanism to help recover the enormous costs of these requirements.” CalTel and other small LECs urged similar for rate-of-return regulated providers. Don't require providers deploy generators in communities that oppose them, said AT&T. “Wireline carriers must have unambiguous discretion to adapt and deploy their limited personnel and equipment resources where their deployment supplies the maximum possible benefit to public safety.” Wireline backup power rules should apply in areas with insufficient wireless coverage, even if they’re not in tier one and two high fire threat districts covered by the proposed decision, said the CPUC Public Advocates Office. Industry commenters raised jurisdictional issues about regulating VoIP. A coalition including Communications Workers of America and The Utility Reform Network said, “This Commission has full authority and jurisdiction” here.