State video franchise holders must submit data to the California Public Utilities Commission, including on previous and existing customer service standards and “information about material breaches” of those standards, Administrative Law Judge Margery Melvin ruled Thursday. The CPUC needs the information for a rulemaking (docket R.23-04-006) to consider changes to video franchise requirements under the state’s Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act (DIVCA). The rulemaking responds to a 2021 law that revised DIVCA to require the commission to adopt video and broadband customer service requirements and adjudicate customer complaints (see 2311300030). Data is due Feb. 12.

The Vermont Community Broadband Board is seeking proposals from ISPs for a broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) subrecipient support program, the VCCB said Thursday. The $1 million program provides needs-based grants that assist entities prepare a BEAD application. Applicants can receive $10,000 to $200,000 for activities including planning, analysis and outreach. Eligible entities include municipalities, cooperatives, utilities and for-profit and nonprofit entities. The VCCB said it will accept responses Jan. 29, Feb. 19 and March 18, or until all funds are exhausted or the board suspends the program.

California must ensure a permanent affordable broadband option for residents should the affordable connectivity program (ACP) run out of money, Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D) said during an Assembly Communications Committee meeting Wednesday. The committee voted 7-3 for Wilson’s AB-1588, despite concerns from some that the legislation could be stronger. The bill would allow the state to do business only with ISPs that have affordable plans costing at most $40 monthly for at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload speeds. Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D) stressed that she will support the bill only if it’s amended to require at least 100/20 Mbps speeds. Wilson said she’s open to raising the floor to 100/20 Mbps and lowering the price ceiling to $30 if it helps pass the bill. Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen (D) said she couldn’t support the bill because of worries about its unintended harms to low-income residents. Nguyen suggested waiting until April to see what happens with ACP. The California Emerging Technology Fund supported the bill, but USTelecom, CTIA, Wireless Infrastructure Association and the state cable association opposed it. “Attempting to rate regulate the industry ... does not resolve federal inactivity” to renew ACP, said Amanda Gualderama, California Broadband and Video Association legislative and regulatory director. USTelecom lobbyist Yolanda Benson noted that Congress earlier that day introduced a bill to fund ACP (see 2401100056). Broadband prices have declined without government invention, she said. Also, the committee voted 10-1 for a bill that discourages Californians from calling state agencies’ toll-free numbers. AB-1135 wouldn’t force agencies to decommission their 800 numbers but would require they advertise local area code numbers instead, said sponsor Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D). He said California spends $7 million annually for toll-free numbers, even though most residents have phone plans with unlimited minutes. The government pays only when someone uses the 800 number, so encouraging use of toll numbers would save cash, he said. Toll-free numbers remain important for those still relying on landlines, said The Utility Reform Network lobbyist Ignacio Hernandez. The consumer advocate is glad the bill wouldn’t get rid of toll-free numbers, but believes it should direct agencies to continue displaying them as an option.

Arizona House Democrats want broadband and VoIP regulated by the Arizona Corporation Commission. Democratic Reps. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton and Mariana Sandoval this week introduced HB-2345, while Analise Ortiz, Cesar Aguilar and 11 other House Democrats introduced the identical HB-2265. The bills would direct the commission to adopt necessary rules to oversee broadband and VoIP, including ensuring resiliency, reliability, quality and public safety. Republicans control both Arizona legislative chambers, though Gov. Katie Hobbs is a Democrat.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities voted 4-0 to clear a settlement resolving the board’s Altice service quality probe (docket CX21020139). At the livestreamed meeting Wednesday, commissioners also voted unanimously to authorize staff to submit New Jersey’s digital equity plan to NTIA by Friday. Altice had pledged to spend $11 million on its network and make other broadband adoption, network resiliency and customer service commitments (see 2312210077). “We really look forward to the improved service that we will see going forward with Altice,” said BPU President Christine Guhl-Sadovy. Staff recommended approving the “just and reasonable resolution” to the board’s investigation, said Cable and Telecommunications Director Lawanda Gilbert. The cable operator values its longtime relationship with New Jersey, an Altice spokesperson said. More broadband access is a big benefit of the deal for Altice customers, said New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel Director Brian Lipman: Continuing talks among Altice, the division, municipalities and the board "will ensure that the parties work together to provide [Altice's] customers with the broadband services they need."

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing workforce problems at emergency call centers, said Tina Buneta, 911 director for Aurora, Colorado, during a National 911 Program webinar Tuesday. “We were already struggling in the 911 profession,” with a 14%-17% average national turnover rate going into 2020, she said. Without much investment in 911, there was a culture where professionals took on more "disempowered behaviors,” Buneta said. The pandemic brought a "great reassessment" of priorities for 911 telecommunicators, she said. Upset with negativity and seeking more time with family, many exited the profession, said the 911 director: The exodus reduced service levels and increased wait times for callers. Aurora responded by seeking to better understand workers’ stress and planning how to meet their essential needs, Buneta said. Emergency call centers should offer fair compensation, flexible hours, an inclusive culture, and psychological and other support, she said. Aurora increased salaries roughly 63% over three years after realizing it was benchmarking pay against rural areas with lower costs of living, she noted. Also during the webinar, North Carolina and Minnesota officials described recent successful recruitment campaigns. Responding to 911 centers' reports about reduced job applicants after COVID-19, the North Carolina 911 Board launched a recruitment campaign on TV, streaming video and online, said Education and Training Coordinator Angie Turbeville. Now more are applying for jobs, and existing 911 telecommunicators have praised the increased awareness brought to their profession.

The West Virginia Public Service Commission should “stand ready to entertain complaints" that ISPs may bring against FirstEnergy for possibly violating commission pole attachment rules, a recent Frontier Communications settlement (see 2306220022) and terms of recently filed amended joint use agreements, the state’s Economic Development Department said Monday. ISPs face problems attaching equipment to FirstEnergy poles amid an influx of federal cash for broadband deployment, the department wrote. “A significant hurdle in implementing most of these projects is developing prompt, orderly, and reasonably priced pole attachment arrangements with the owners of utility poles, which are most often electric utilities,” it said. The volume of pole attachment permit applications has increased due to available federal funding, said the department: As a result, FirstEnergy outsourced its permit review process to third-party engineers and changed its attachment requirements. “These changes have increased costs and turnaround time which have caused significant delays and have negatively impacted lSPs to meet federal funding project deadlines.” ISPs say FirstEnergy "requires pole replacements and pole additions where none is needed,” the department said. “FirstEnergy is imposing the entire cost of pole replacements on lSPs when this expense should be shared among pole users when the existing pole is inadequate or deteriorated.” Also, the utility charges triple what Frontier asks for pole replacements, “appears to be changing its requirements from application to application,” and seems to lack a standardized process, it said. A FirstEnergy spokesperson said the utility has seen a spike in pole attachment requests. It received 1,124 requests monthly on average in 2022, increasing to 2,629 monthly by July 2023, the spokesperson said. “Verifying that the engineering and work associated with broadband attachments meets … stringent safety standards is key to maintaining the integrity of our infrastructure."

Ohio will support a broadband network in Cleveland with $10 million from the state broadband office, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted (R) said Tuesday. Cleveland-based nonprofit DigitalC plans to sell fixed wireless service for $18 monthly. The city in September approved $20 million through the American Rescue Plan Act for the project, which is estimated to cost $53 million. More funding will come from the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, the David and Inez Myers Foundation and other sources, the governor’s office said. The plan is for DigitalC to break ground this month and connect all the city’s 170,000 households to the network by mid-2025, DeWine's office said. “We are committed to closing the digital divide in Ohio -- not just in rural parts of the state, but also right here in urban centers like Cleveland where affordability can be more of an obstacle than access,” said the governor. Husted added, “While many underserved communities are in rural Ohio, Cleveland is an example of an underserved urban community.” The National Digital Inclusion Alliance listed Cleveland as the worst connected large city in the U.S. in a 2019 report. DigitalC expects to provide minimum 100 Mbps symmetrical speeds using a next-generation fixed wireless access network, without data caps, a spokesperson said.

The Oregon Public Utility Commission voted 2-0 Tuesday to approve a staff recommendation finding Lumen in compliance with PUC orders during outages on Sept. 2 and 3, a PUC spokesperson said. The orders required Lumen to make repairs within 48 hours, provide a customer support line and perform a post-incident assessment.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission cleared about $20 million for high-speed internet projects through the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Program. Commissioners voted 4-0 at a livestreamed meeting Tuesday, with one member absent, for an order approving grants (docket C-5484). Awarded projects will mostly connect unserved areas, said PSC Telecom Director Cullen Robbins. Projects must be completed by July 9, 2025, said the order. Hartelco received the most funding ($7.2 million), followed by Glenwood Telecom ($3.5 million), Pinpoint Communications ($2.6 million) and Cox ($2.4 million). Commissioners voted 3-1 to keep Dan Watermeier (R) as PSC chair. Commissioner Kevin Stocker voted no and Commissioner Christian Mirch was absent. The commission censured Stocker and Mirch last year for alleged, but not disclosed, misconduct (see 2310030043).