public policy

Charter starts California regulatory approval quest by telling CPUC a whopper

14 July 2015 by Steve Blum
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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

Local agencies would be able to challenge cell tower permits in court, under bill in California senate

13 July 2015 by Steve Blum
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Not so fast.

A bill to put teeth in the FCC’s shot clock rule for local review of permit applications for wireless towers and equipment has been watered down a bit in the California legislature. As it reads now – after being amended twice so far in the senate – it basically says that if a mobile carrier or other wireless telecoms company provides all the necessary information, a permit application for a new site has to be acted on by local agencies within five months and a collocation request within three.… More

Frontier tells CPUC it will expand DSL service in rural California


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

Federal regulators will shoot down big cable deals because big is bad, says analyst

11 July 2015 by Steve Blum
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By its very existence, big cable is a barrier to new broadband infrastructure investment by potential competitors, according to Nancy Rose, a senior administrator at the federal justice department in charge of economic analysis. In a speech she gave to the American Bar Association last month, and posted on the BTIG Research blog, she said that the buying power of big cable companies gives them an advantage in creating video packages that would-be competitors can’t overcome…

There was certainly some suggestion made to us that broadband investments are less attractive, at least at present, if you can’t also get access to low cost video programming and put together a cable-like package…to offer customers.

… 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
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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

FCC tells ISPs to ask permission first before getting on with business

6 July 2015 by Steve Blum
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It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, so slip it under the door and we’ll get back to you.

The Federal Communications Commission is making the same catch-22 offer about its new common carrier broadband regulations that it made regarding data privacy rules. It’s basically saying we’re not in any hurry to actually write the rules – hey, it’s a holiday weekend, after all – so why don’t you just tell us what you want to do and we’ll get back to you on whether it’s OK or not.… More

Federal justice department has no problem with AT&T's takeover of DirecTv

3 July 2015 by Steve Blum
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Move along. Nothing to see here.

AT&T’s purchase of DirecTv is about to get the green light, without any inconvenient conditions, at least from the federal justice department. That’s the word from Bloomberg, which has a pretty good track record on this kind of reporting. According to a story by Todd Shields and David McLaughlin…

Justice Department officials closed their investigation without demanding any conditions, such as promises about fair treatment of Internet traffic, or demanding the sale of business units, said the person who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.

… More

Move at the FCC to unlink rural broadband subsdies from telephone service

2 July 2015 by Steve Blum
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Wouldn’t it be easier to just Skype?

Federal Communications Commission rules require any service provider that applies for broadband subsidies under universal service fund programs also offer telephone service. It’s not because of any law of nature – the California Advanced Services Fund functions quite well without screwing around with dial tone requirements – but rather simply the result of bureaucratic inertia.

The FCC’s decision to bring broadband service and infrastructure under common carrier rules hinted at broadband-only subsidies.… More

Charter won't promise to offer broadband in redlined communities

29 June 2015 by Steve Blum
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This isn’t where the other 99% live.

If you live in the bottom 1% of Charter Communications service area, you’re not getting broadband access or, indeed, anything other than poor analog video service from the company. The message from Charter is those redlined communities – among the poorest and most isolated in California – won’t be upgraded to 21st century digital systems anytime soon.

Charter tries to weasel its way around that issue in its initial filing with the Federal Communications Commission, as it seeks permission to buy Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks.… More

Frontier's ability to deliver, particularly broadband, will be evaluated by CPUC

28 June 2015 by Steve Blum
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Frontier Communications’ proposed purchase of Verizon’s wireline telephone systems in California is under review by the California Public Utilities Commission, which has to decide if the deal is in the public interest. Catherine Sandoval is the commissioner assigned to lead the review, and she’s laid out a broad basis for doing it, stating that it’s not just the interests of Verizon’s current customers that matter, instead “at the least, we must be able to say that the proposed transaction is overall net beneficial in its impact on the various affected constituencies.… More