The Maryland Supreme Court couldn't allow Comcast and Verizon to circumvent state legislative intent to resolve tax disputes through the administrative remedy process, Chief Justice Matthew Fader said Wednesday on the ISPs' challenge to the state's digital ad tax. The state’s high court released an opinion explaining its May 9 decision to overturn a Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County ruling that the tax is unconstitutional. The companies should have challenged the tax in the Maryland Tax Court, an expert administrative agency, before seeking judicial review, Fader said.
Expect a California administrative law judge to schedule an initial hearing on AT&T’s request for carrier of last resort (COLR) relief “in the coming weeks,” said a California Public Utilities Commission spokesperson: Expect a prehearing conference in Q3 this year, with a scoping ruling to follow. California consumer and county groups protested AT&T’s June 30 request to shed COLR obligations for most of the state (see 2307070040). AT&T responded Monday that “the world has moved on” from copper networks required by COLR. “The historical regulatory compact is broken, as the Commission’s COLR obligation persists in treating AT&T California as though it were still a monopolist and saddles AT&T alone with the obligation to provide a tariffed standalone voice service to any requesting customer within its service area.” AT&T seeks “tailored relief from this anachronistic barrier to broadband investment and competition,” it said. Protesters’ "arguments are grounded in outdated policies and would slow California’s progress toward universal broadband.”
Another possible increase to the Oklahoma USF surcharge shows the state’s 2021 switch to connections-based contribution was a “total failure,” CTIA claimed Monday. The Oklahoma Corporation Commission at a livestreamed meeting Tuesday considered increasing the Oklahoma USF (OUSF) surcharge to $2.02 per connection. OUSF Administrator Mark Argenbright disagreed with CTIA that the connections-based method is anticompetitive.
California consumer and county groups protested an AT&T request for carrier of last resort (COLR) relief in most of the state. The California Public Utilities Commission is reviewing the carrier’s amended application after an administrative law judge found an initial request lacked specificity. Plain old telephone service (POTS) remains a lifeline for many rural residents, especially in disaster-prone areas, said officials from Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC), The Utility Reform Network (TURN) and the CPUC’s independent Public Advocates Office (PAO) in interviews Friday.
Ohio will limit wireless eligibility for broadband grants and require age verification on social media. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed a 2024-25 budget bill (HB-33) Tuesday including those two sections despite opposition from wireless and internet groups. The wireless restriction may misalign Ohio with federal requirements in the broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program, said a Wireless ISP Association (WISPA) spokesperson Wednesday: “Fewer solutions never result in more flexibility.”
California commissioners should "move forward with steps to regulate VoIP providers and provide specific recommendations for an appropriate regulatory framework,” said Center for Accessible Technology (CforAT), The Utility Reform Network (TURN) and Communications Workers of America (CWA). The California Public Utilities Commission received reply comments Friday in docket R.22-08-008. "Industry parties continue to fixate on preemption," as they have for the past nine months of the proceeding, the consumer and workers' groups complained. That CforAT, TURN and CWA "ignore the preemption issue entirely" means industry's "preemption arguments stand unrebutted," replied AT&T. The California Broadband and Video Association warned the CPUC that market "entry requirements and other utility-style regulations for interconnected VoIP service are not only unnecessary but would exceed the Commission’s authority and conflict with [FCC] and federal court precedent.” Regulating business VoIP providers "is unnecessary and unsupported by the evidentiary record or actual marketplace experiences,” the Cloud Communications Alliance replied. But Small Business Utility Advocates said the CPUC has legal authority and should regulate VoIP.
Industry breathed a sigh of relief after a California state court delayed enforcement of California Privacy Rights Act regulations Friday. The California Chamber of Commerce (CalChamber) said the ruling by the California Superior Court in Sacramento righted an unfair situation for businesses. “Significant portions” of CPRA remain enforceable, despite the court’s ruling, said California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) Executive Director Ashkan Soltani.
A California state court signaled it would delay enforcement of California Privacy Right Act (CPRA) regulations. The CPRA had required the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) to start enforcing regulations implementing the sequel to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) by Saturday. Connecticut and Colorado’s comprehensive privacy laws took effect that day, joining California and Virginia laws. The Delaware Senate passed a privacy bill Thursday.
AT&T won’t yet be relieved of an obligation to file automated reporting management information system (ARMIS) financial reports with the California Public Utilities Commission, the CPUC decided at a virtual meeting Thursday. The commission voted unanimously for a consent agenda that includes a draft decision denying AT&T’s 2021 petition for modification of a 2009 order about regulating large and mid-sized telecom companies (docket R.05-04-005). The CPUC will consider the issue instead as part of its service-quality rulemaking (docket R.22-03-016), said the draft. AT&T argues the ARMIS reports no longer serve a useful purpose and are too time-consuming to produce. Its petition got opposition from consumer groups and support from small carriers. Also at the meeting, California commissioners supported a draft resolution T-17793 to approve $5.1 million in local agency technical assistance applications for nine non-tribal local agency applications. The approval will exhaust $45 million available for such entities. Commissioners approved another proposed resolution T-17786 to approve $162,655 in support from the California Advanced Services Fund adoption account to two projects. “We have to build broadband infrastructure and make sure everyone is able to use it,” said Commissioner Darcie Houck. “These grants are one step in accomplishing these goals in a manner that will maximize the impact of our investment.”
The White House will reveal state allocations for the $42.5 billion broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program Monday, said New Jersey Office of Broadband Connectivity Director Valarry Bullard on an NTIA videoconference Thursday. Afterward, other state officials told us they were invited to a 4:30 p.m. Monday event. State broadband officers were invited to the Monday event to find out grant amounts, said Bullard at the New Jersey virtual outreach meeting: "All of these state broadband offices will get together and [President Joe] Biden will say, 'You get a grant' and 'You get a grant.'" NTIA Federal Program Officer Brynn Deprey said to expect a news release. NTIA earlier said it would announce BEAD allocations by June 30. NTIA will use the FCC map to determine how much money states receive in addition to the $100 million each they’re guaranteed under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Louisiana will be there, emailed Veneeth Iyengar, the broadband office's executive director-broadband development and connectivity. "I do not know the exact nature of the announcement, though we are in the ballpark in terms of timing with regards to knowing what our BEAD allocation will be." Colorado Broadband Office Executive Director Brandy Reitter also said she was invited to the White House event but can't attend. South Carolina Broadband Office Director Jim Stritzinger also said all states had been invited to the White House event. NTIA didn't comment further Thursday.