The West Virginia Public Service Commission approved a settlement proposal in a pole attachments case involving Frontier Communications, the PSC said Thursday. Frontier, Monongahela Power and Potomac Edison (Mon Power), Citynet, Micrologic and West Virginia PSC staff filed a joint stipulation on the pact June 9 (see 2306120038). The agreement responded to commission scrutiny about duplicative processes slowing pole-attachment application reviews. The order names MP/PE as the main point of contact to streamline the review process for attachments involving jointly owned communication line poles, the PSC said. Telecom carriers are currently applying for pole attachments amid “massive” broadband deployment, the agency noted. Under the approved pact, MP/PE will issue or deny permits, charge fees, perform billing and distribute payments and do required engineering work, said the PSC: The utility and Frontier will both invoice applicants for make-ready work. “While the Commission hoped that the parties would agree to a process for ‘one stop shopping’ with MP/PE as the only pole owner involved in the process, the parties have agreed that Frontier must be responsible for make-ready in the telecommunications space,” said the order in case 22-0885-T-E-SC.

Oregon’s comprehensive privacy bill passed the legislature Thursday. The House voted 54-0, with six members excused, on SB-619. The Senate passed it Tuesday (see 2306210039). The bill initially included a private right of action, but a Senate panel removed it in April, leaving the attorney general as the proposed law’s sole enforcer. The bill still needs approval from Gov. Tina Kotek (D). Oregon could be the first blue state to enact a privacy law in 2023. Republican governors signed comprehensive bills this year in Iowa, Indiana, Tennessee, Montana, Florida and Texas. California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah and Virginia passed privacy bills in previous years. “Consumers should have a say over how their personal data is used and companies shouldn’t be able to use that data to target and exploit them," said SB-619 sponsor Rep. Paul Holvey (D) in a statement. He said the state bill "will make sure Oregonians are protected and in control of their personal data.”

The Colorado Broadband Office (CBO) is taking applications for $162 million in broadband infrastructure grants, using money from the U.S. Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund (CPF). Advance Colorado Broadband applications are due by Aug. 21. The COVID-19 “pandemic highlighted a significant gap in internet access in Colorado,” CBO Executive Director Brandy Reitter said Tuesday. “CPF money will help ensure Coloradans are never again left behind.”

The California Public Utilities Commission is seeking comments on a staff proposal to establish a broadband loan loss reserve fund, said a Wednesday order by Commissioner Darcie Houck. The fund is required by state law to support broadband deployment costs by local governments and nonprofits. “Eligible broadband projects … should be designed to reliably offer, upon completion, symmetrical speeds at or above 100 Mbps download and upload,” said proposed eligibility criteria in the staff plan. If there are engineering limitations, 100/20 Mbps may be considered, it said. Also, staff recommends providers have open-access middle-mile infrastructure requirements and offer a low-income broadband plan through the affordable connectivity program or a successor program identified by the CPUC, it said. Comments are due July 10, replies July 20 (docket R.20-08-021).

The Oregon Senate passed a comprehensive privacy bill Tuesday. Senators voted 23-2 to send SB-619 to the House, which then referred the bill to the Ways and Means Committee. The bill initially included a private right of action, but a Senate panel removed it in April, leaving the attorney general as the proposed law’s sole enforcer (see 2306010025). In New Jersey, the legislature passed a bill (SB-715) to study social media’s effects on adolescents (see 2303310029). The Senate voted 36-0 Tuesday to concur with Assembly amendments.

Texas will be the 11th state with a consumer privacy law. Over the weekend, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed HB-4, which largely follows in the mold of Virginia and Connecticut laws (see 2305300057). Also, Abbott signed a data broker registration bill (SB-2105), a broadband mapping bill (SB-2119) and a USF bill (SB-1710) to establish a competition test allowing the Texas Public Utility Commission to decide whether previously rural areas should continue receiving support. Abbott vetoed SB-2399, which would have clarified that the PUC should continue to grant operating authority certificates to VoIP providers. “Texans are faced with perpetually increasing threats to their family's privacy with unscrupulous actors collecting their personal data and activities," the privacy bill’s sponsor, Rep. Giovanni Capriglione (R), said Monday: "Texans deserve to know what information is being collected and how to delete that information if they so choose.” Florida was the 10th state with a privacy law (see 2306060030).

Michigan’s broadband office recommended $238 million in broadband infrastructure grants using money from the U.S. Treasury Capital Projects Fund (CPF). The Michigan High-Speed Internet Office said it selected 24 projects from 11 applicants; it received 154 applications from 40 applicants. The broadband office said the awarded projects aim to connect about 106,000 homes, businesses and institutions. Applicants committed more than $311 million in matching funds, it said. Whether the projects get any or some of the recommended funding depends on a 45-day comment and objection window that closes July 31, the office noted. Iowa is readying nearly $149 million in broadband grants through CPF, said Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) Monday. Applications will be accepted July 14 through Aug. 25, with decisions to be announced Sept. 22. It’s the eighth funding availability for Iowa, which awarded about $353 million in grants over the previous seven rounds.

The Regulatory Commission of Alaska seeks comments by July 19 on making Alaska USF emergency regulations permanent, said an RCA notice released Monday. The commission filed the emergency regs with the lieutenant governor’s office Thursday (see 2306160041). The emergency rules take effect July 1 and expire Oct. 28. Making them permanent would extend the AUSF sunset through June 30, 2026.

Alaska and North Carolina had spikes in broadband serviceable locations (BSLs) on the FCC map after the federal agency’s May 30 update, the states said last week. Some other states told us the national map improved but still needs work (see 2306130041). “As a result of our commitment to work as a team with the FCC,” the Alaska broadband office saw 61,000 BSLs added to the national map for its state, a spokesperson said Thursday. “The Alaska Broadband Office is optimistic that the NTIA will consider the unique nature of Alaska when calculating” its broadband, equity, access and deployment funding allocation. The North Carolina broadband offices’ nearly 43,000 challenges to the FCC map helped find 115,000 more homes and businesses lacking access to high-speed internet, the state’s information tech department said Thursday. “This more accurate picture will help us more effectively and efficiently close the digital divide to help North Carolinians get online for telemedicine, education, services and business,” said Gov. Roy Cooper (D).

"Affordable and reliable telecommunications services are essential to the public peace, health, safety, and general welfare of the people of Alaska,” according to Alaska USF emergency regulations the Regulatory Commission of Alaska filed Thursday at the lieutenant governor's office. The commission adopted the rules in docket R-21-001 at a June 7 meeting (see 2306070050). They'll take effect July 1 and expire Oct. 28 unless made permanent by the RCA, said Thursday’s filing. Existing AUSF rules sunset on June 30.