The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission shouldn’t resume proceedings to consider revoking LTD Broadband’s eligible telecom carrier (ETC) designation, the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) winner said in comments posted Monday (docket 22-221). Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D), industry and public interest groups urged the PUC to lift a Jan. 18 stay that was meant to give time for the FCC to rule on LTD’s appeal of the commission denying the company’s RDOF long-form application (see 2308140032). About seven months since the Minnesota stay, the FCC hasn’t decided on LTD’s appeal. Minnesota Telecom Association (MTA) and Minnesota Rural Electric Association (MREA) seek “to embroil the Commission in entirely unnecessary proceedings on the basis of speculation, inconsistent logic, and a fundamentally inaccurate characterization of the posture of LTD’s application for” RDOF support at the FCC, commented LTD: MTA and MREA are trying “to extinguish arbitrarily LTD’s current ETC status as a means of prejudicing LTD’s position in matters still pending before the FCC.” The RDOF winner claimed the associations’ true motivation is to get "funding under alternative programs in lieu of LTD." The FCC hasn’t completed reviewing LTD’s appeal, so “there is no reason to change the posture of this case and require the state and LTD to spend considerable time and expense on further proceedings that may prove to be entirely unnecessary,” LTD said. “Nor does the prospect of future broadband funding create any immediacy requiring that the current stay be lifted. Because LTD has not been authorized to receive support for any RDOF locations, these areas remain eligible for funding through other programs to the extent not benefiting from other subsidy programs or from more recent deployment of unsubsidized broadband service by LTD or other broadband providers.” Replies are due Aug. 21 at the Minnesota PUC.

Wisconsin opened a broadband grant round with $42 million from the U.S. Treasury Capital Projects Fund, the Wisconsin Public Service Commission said Monday. ISPs, telecom utilities, cooperatives, local governments and other organizations are eligible; projects must provide at least 100 Mbps symmetrical speeds and include at least one low-cost option for work, education and health monitoring, said the PSC: Applicants should apply by Nov. 7. The broadband infrastructure program will invest “in projects that improve access to high-speed internet for communities that were most impacted by the pandemic,” said Wisconsin PSC Chairperson Rebecca Valcq.

Companies have questions about a Maine plan to combine Consolidated Communications rate centers statewide. The Maine Public Utilities Commission received comments last week in an investigation (docket 2023-00009) of the feasibility of large-scale rate center consolidation in the 207 area code so as to more efficiently distribute phone numbers. Consolidated explained in a July 7 filing how it might combine all its Maine rate centers into one, which the company acknowledged hasn’t been done before. More study is needed, the Telecommunications Association of Maine (TAM) commented Friday. TAM fears a large scale rate center consolidation could affect its 14 RLEC members' toll and local service plans and rate structures, possibly confusing customers and increasing RLECs' costs and rates. Rate center consolidation might be a good idea, but more information is needed, said Charter Communications. The PUC should hold more workshops to better vet the plan, said Comcast. “Consolidated’s proposal is an industry-impacting event in Maine." The proposal raises many questions and concerns, said GoNetSpeed. “The plan has the potential to significantly impact all voice service providers, particularly the small, legacy ILEC companies who have existing contractual agreements with Consolidated to exchange network traffic." It "would need to be undertaken carefully," but rate center consolidation may be "a viable approach to help Maine extend the life of the single 207 area code,” said CTIA. But it's too soon to say what implementation timeline is reasonable, it said. The PUC should assess financial and public safety impacts and consider whether LECs besides Consolidated would also merge rate centers, said CTIA: The commission “should ensure that any plan considers and mitigates any unintended consequences that would result from having one consolidated LEC and other LECs that have not made the same changes to their operations.” Maine’s public advocate said it “would like to see a qualitative and quantitative description … of the operational efficiencies and long-term operational cost savings that Consolidated anticipates, and how it plans to recover the costs for the work it intends to do.”

Verizon asked California regulators to stay a Nov. 22 deadline to migrate Tracfone customers still using non-Verizon networks. Verizon moved Friday for a stay while the California Public Utilities Commission considers the carrier’s July 27 petition to modify the CPUC’s 2021 Verizon/Tracfone conditional approval (see 2307280060). “This Motion is necessary as the Petition will not be resolved prior to the two-year migration deadline, and TracFone will need to pivot well prior to that date.” Consumer groups raised concerns about Verizon’s request.

The Missouri Public Service Commission is seeking comment on the continued need for the state’s TRS fund and to review the program’s current 10 cent per line monthly surcharge. PSC staff says few consumers use analog relay services funded by the program, the commission said Friday. Comments are due Sept. 7 in case TO-2024-0033. In Alaska, T-Mobile asked to discontinue captioned telephone service on Aug. 31 and revise TRS rates. The Regulatory Commission of Alaska sought comments Friday on tariff filing TA14-750 by Sept. 11.

The FCC is in touch with communications providers and 911 officials on Hawaii's Maui island, "and we are keeping apprised of the operational status of communications services and infrastructure," an agency spokesperson emailed us Thursday in response to questions about reported mobile service outages in Maui due to wildfires there. He said the agency "stand[s] ready to provide any support and information needed to help FEMA and other government partners to support the people of Hawaii."

Massachusetts will give incarcerated individuals access to free phone calls, video calls and e-messaging, effective Dec. 1, Gov. Maura Healey (D) announced after signing the FY24 budget Wednesday. The implementation date of the provision was extended by five months to "make sure the policy can be thoughtfully implemented and is affordable," per a news release. Several advocacy groups welcomed the announcement. "We applaud the Massachusetts legislature and Governor on the passage and signing of this budget that will make the promise of stronger families a reality, especially because it is the first state to make all prison and jail communication free," said Worth Rises Executive Director Bianca Tylek. The provision "sets a national standard for human rights for incarcerated people," said Michael Collins, Color of Change senior director-state and local government affairs. "It's been an uphill battle to say the least, but one worth fighting for,” said African American Coalition Committee Chairman William Ragland.

Six groups representing the national wireless industry said wireless should play a part in broadband deployments in California and wireless broadband providers should be able to apply for California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) federal funding account (FFA) grants. They urged the state to “resume consideration of AB 1065 which would expressly allow wireless-based solutions to compete for state funds,” in a letter to House and Senate appropriators. The legislation cleared the Senate Communications Committee last month and is in the Appropriations Committee’s suspense file, a category reserved for bills deemed to be costly (see 2307260076). “Our organizations share the state’s goal of bringing high-speed, reliable broadband service to every American,” the letter said: “However, realizing this goal will require a flexible, all-of-the-above approach to ensure that connectivity can be delivered quickly, efficiently, and broadly. Accordingly, we urge you to reject calls to only fund a single broadband technology and instead craft flexible rules that allow a variety of solutions to compete and afford the most options to communities on the wrong side of the digital divide.” The letter was signed by the Wireless Infrastructure Association, the Competitive Carriers Association, CTIA, NATE, the Rural Wireless Association and the Wireless ISP Association.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., the agency is investigating complaints from Hinsdale County, Colorado, about reduced coverage the county says it has had on its public safety radio system since it transitioned from 25 kHz to 12.5 kHz bandwidth channels due to the FCC’s 2013 narrowbanding rules. Boebert also had asked about a waiver of the rules, said a letter posted Tuesday by the FCC. “We have reached out directly to County officials to provide guidance on the procedures for filing an application and request for waiver of the narrowbanding rules,” Rosenworcel responded: Staff from the Public Safety Bureau spoke with Hinsdale’s radio technician June 28 “to discuss possible technical solutions and the limitations of those solutions.”

The revamped New Mexico Public Regulation Commission scheduled four virtual planning sessions to plot its mission and goals for fiscal years 2025-2027, the agency said Thursday. The commission had elected members until this year; three governor-appointed commissioners were sworn in seven months ago. The livestreamed sessions will guide the agency in “adapting to any necessary changes in regulating utility, telecommunications, and motor carrier companies to ensure that these industries continue to offer reasonable rates and quality services to customers,” the commission said. The New Mexico PRC had its first planning session Thursday.