cpuc – Page 66 – Steve Blum's Blog

Frontier tells CPUC it can fix Verizon's problems

28 July 2015 by Steve Blum
cpuc, frontiercommunications, public policy, verizon

Been there, done that.

Frontier Communications already knows how to upgrade Verizon’s ageing copper telephone networks and make them broadband capable, according to Melinda White, president of Frontier’s western region, which includes California.

“We’ve done this before with Verizon so we’re very familiar with the products, and attributes of this deal”, White said. Frontier bought ten small copper-line phone systems in California from Verizon a few years ago, she said. Eight of those were telephone only, with no broadband service offered.… More

CPUC says yes to Petrolia and queues up Backus

26 July 2015 by Steve Blum
casf, cpuc, frontiercommunications, ftth, race telecommunications

Click to get the big picture for Backus Road.

Frontier Communications will get $203,000 from the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) to build a microwave middle mile connection to the Humboldt County town of Petrolia and upgrade DSL service to 25 Mbps down and 1.5 Mbps up. The California Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously on Thursday to award the grant. Petrolia was initially identified as a candidate for a CASF subsidy by the Redwood Coast Broadband Consortium and is the first on a long list of high priority communities – as determined by the CPUC – to get actual project approval.… More

CPUC leaves a hard decision on its broadband authority for another time

24 July 2015 by Steve Blum
broadband, charter, comcast, cpuc, public policy

Some games go on forever, and reach no result.

The California Public Utilities Commission passed on the opportunity to officially assert its jurisdiction over broadband infrastructure and service yesterday. By a unanimous vote, commissioners allowed Comcast to simply withdraw its now moot application for permission to take over Charter and Time Warner cable systems in California.
The mega-merger died in April, after federal regulators insisted on deal killing conditions. The CPUC had also spent about a year reviewing it, amassing a huge amount of data and documents, in addition to the even bigger stash developed by the Federal Communications Commission.… More

Decision on CPUC investigation into state of copper phone networks delayed until next month

22 July 2015 by Steve Blum
att, cpuc, public policy, verizon

The California Public Utilities Commission will hold off on deciding whether to halt or accelerate an investigation of the condition of Verizon’s and AT&T’s copper telephone systems in the state. It was one of two major broadband decisions on tomorrow’s agenda – the other is how to wind down the review of the now-defunct Comcast – Time Warner – Charter mega-deal – but was pulled this afternoon and rescheduled to 13 August 2015.

The reason given was that there hadn’t been enough time for all concerned to review the alternate language proposed by commissioners Mike Florio and Catherine Sandoval.… More

CPUC to choose between broadband activism or accommodation

22 July 2015 by Steve Blum
att, broadband, comcast, cpuc, public policy, verizon

Two key broadband decisions are scheduled to go in front of the California Public Utilities Commission tomorrow. Commissioners have to decide what kind of funeral to hold for the not-so-dearly-departed Comcast – Time Warner – Charter mega-merger, and whether they need to actually investigate the condition of California’s ageing copper telephone networks, or just assume the telcos will take care of it.

There are three completely different alternatives on the table for wrapping up the Comcast deal:

Approve it with a long wish list of conditions, even though it’s a dead issue, to establish precedent for review of future mergers.

… More

Cooperative FTTH looks like a low cost option for a lucky few in California

19 July 2015 by Steve Blum
anza, casf, cpuc, ftth, rural broadband

Southwestern Riverside County just got in line for a fiber to the home (FTTH) upgrade. The Anza Electric Cooperative submitted an application for $2.8 million from the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) to run fiber alongside its existing electric system…

Connect Anza will deploy a fiber optic cable on existing poles and rights of way and establish a network of sufficient capacity to establish high speed, quality internet service for Anza Electric Cooperatives existing service territory covering over 500 square miles, located wholly within western Riverside County.

… More

Public housing gets broadband love from federal government

16 July 2015 by Steve Blum
broadband subsidy, casf, cpuc, hud, public housing

Fresno and Los Angeles made the list of 27 cities and one tribal nation that will be getting federal help in extending broadband service to more public housing residents. The ConnectHome program was announced yesterday by U.S. president Barack Obama. The press release was a hodge podge of details, but it seems to boil down to…

Some of the communities – but not LA or Fresno – will get discounted, or even free, Internet access in public housing projects from ISPs, including Suddenlink, Cox, CenturyLink and Google Fiber.

… More

Charter starts California regulatory approval quest by telling CPUC a whopper

14 July 2015 by Steve Blum
charter, cpuc, public policy, rural broadband, time-warner

Blue indicates likely communities redlined by Charter, although analysis is still in progress. Yellow is where Charter offers broadband. Click for a bigger – 8.5 MB – version.

Hoping to get its proposed purchase of Time Warner and Bright House cable systems approved, Charter Communications filed a formal application with the California Public Utilities Commission earlier this month. Technically, it’s a joint filing of all three companies, but in reading through the claims and arguments, it’s clear that it’s primarily a Charter document.… More

Frontier tells CPUC it will expand DSL service in rural California

12 July 2015 by Steve Blum
cpuc, frontiercommunications, public policy, rural broadband, verizon

Click for the full-sized version.

Frontier Communications executives outlined the company’s plans for the Verizon wireline systems it intends to acquire – ex parte communications in regulatory jargon – were made public last week.

The meetings confirmed that Frontier will get the retail businesses – “voice, Internet, VoIP and video service”, including FTTH FiOS systems – while Verizon will keep its mobile network and “other businesses”, which presumably include middle mile and commercial fiber. Verizon owns a lot of that in California.… More

Two commissioners buck CPUC president and vociferous opposition from AT&T and Verizon to push for wireline study

9 July 2015 by Steve Blum
att, cpuc, public policy, verizon

Not the view that AT&T and Verizon want you to see.

California public utilities commissioners Catherine Sandoval and Mike Florio want a full assessment of AT&T’s and Verizon’s wireline infrastructure in the state and have put a resolution on the table that would tell the CPUC to get on with the job. By doing so, they’re opposing a move by commission president Michael Picker to short circuit the CPUC’s existing investigation into the state of California’s copper telephone networks.… More