Around The States

Telecom Policy Report, Jan 14, 2008

Maine

Charlotte, N.C.-based FairPoint Communications Inc. says the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) voted to approve an amended stipulation recommending the approval of the merger agreement between FairPoint and Verizon, with a few additional provisions (see related story posted Jan. 14 on Telecom Policy Report). In addition to FairPoint, the amended stipulation was signed by Verizon New England Inc., the Advocacy Staff of the Maine PUC, the Office of the Public Advocate in Maine, Cornerstone Communications LLC, Biddeford Internet Corp dba Great Works Internet, Oxford Networks and the American Association of Retired Persons (with respect to certain aspects of the amended stipulation). As such, the Maine PUC is expected to issue an order officially approving the transaction following deliberations on any remaining issues not covered in the amended stipulation agreement as modified.

FairPoint's acquisition of Verizon's wireline operations in Maine is part of a larger, previously announced transaction in which FairPoint would also acquire Verizon's wireline operations in New Hampshire and Vermont. Completion of the transaction between FairPoint and Verizon also is conditioned on approval from the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission, the Vermont Public Service Board and the Federal Communications Commission.

North Dakota

The North Dakota Public Service Commission will be monitoring the impact of a federal change that allows cellphone companies to stop offering analog service Feb. 18. The change could mean some problems in older vehicles that use such tracking services as OnStar, for companies that use analog tracking devices for deliveries and for some home-alarm companies. Verizon Wireless and Alltel Corp. serve the state, and both have analog networks. Alltel reportedly has said it could continue to offer analog cellular service in some areas, but Verizon will be shutting down its analog service completely.

Kansas

Liz Ticer, Johnson County Health Department (JCHD) Emergency Coordinator, was appointed to the state Commission on Emergency Planning and Response (CEPR). CEPR facilitates a coordinated effort dealing with mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery from emergencies and disasters in Kansas. The primary focus of the commission is to enhance state and local emergency response and preparedness capabilities through improved coordination and planning.

California

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has allocated $100 million during the next two years to the new California Advanced Services Fund (CASF), which will provide incentives to companies to bring broadband service to unserved and underserved areas of California. Many of the unserved areas are rural, remote or socio-economically disadvantaged communities. Workshops set for next month will determine the criteria and application process for assessing applications for these areas. A June 2 deadline has been set for submission of CASF funding requests, and the agency will require applicants to provide a minimum of 60-percent matching funds as a prerequisite for consideration of their applications. Funding for the CASF will be collected using a surcharge on telephone customer bills.

In another development, residents of a former mining camp in the Sierra foothills may not have modern plumbing or electricity, but they will soon get one convenience. A $2.5 million grant from the California Public Utilities Commission will help provide telephone service to Iowa Hill, about 60 miles northeast of Sacramento. As things stand today, the hamlet's 150 residents have sporadic cellular service or they have to drive nine miles on a twisting mountain road to use telephones in Colfax. The phone service is expected to be connected starting this summer. Others communities with no telephone service are located in Fresno, Kern and Siskiyou counties.

On a public-safety front, the CPUC has scheduled a workshop for Jan. 9 in San Diego to discuss communication lessons learned as a result of the recent Southern California firestorms. "As the commissioner assigned to the proceeding in which we are addressing standards for telecommunications backup power systems and emergency notification systems, I want to ensure that we are even more prepared in the event of another disaster," notes CPUC Commissioner Timothy Alan Simon. Panelists include representatives of the City of San Diego, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, San Diego County, the University of California San Diego, AT&T, Verizon, Cox, T- Mobile, AT&T, Plant CML, NTI, Twenty First Century Communications, the CPUC, OES, the Department of General Services and the San Diego Fire Department.

Alaska

The Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) has advised Alaskans about additional requirements imposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to protect the privacy of telephone customers against unauthorized access or disclosure. In April 2007, the FCC released an order adopting additional safeguards to protect the personal telephone records of consumers from unauthorized disclosure. These new safeguards will help prevent unauthorized access to Customer Proprietary Network Information or CPNI (e.g., calling details and history, type of service, billing records and other customer information). The new safeguards became effective Dec. 8, 2007. If subscribers use a password when contacting a telephone company to obtain customer information, they should avoid using any sensitive or readily apparent information, such as a social-security number.