Today: Pennsylvania PUC Marks 80th Anniversary, Missouri Plans to Bring Broadband to Schools, US Senate Bill Would Restore FCC Privacy Rules, US Congress National Safe Digging Month
Pennsylvania PUC Marks 80th Anniversary
The PUC marked its 80th anniversary as an independent state agency. “For eight decades, my colleagues, along with the Commissioners who came before us, have focused on ensuring safe and reliable utility service to the Commonwealth’s 12 million residents,” said PUC Chairman Gladys M. Brown. “We are very much aware that the approximately 9,000 utilities we oversee, and the cases that come before us, impact the daily lives of citizens across the state – including their lights and heat, the water they drink, transportation services, and their ability to communicate with coworkers, customers, family, and friends.” In its press release the PUC noted that it is working to address a diverse list of concerns for the future, including: (1) ensuring the reliability and resiliency of utility service in the face of physical and cyber threats, and (2) encouraging the ongoing modernization and improvement of utility infrastructure to help ensure the reliability of service as well as to provide greater access to unserved or underserved areas.
Missouri Plans To Bring Broadband To Schools
Missouri Governor Eric Greitens announced an effort that will bring high-quality, broadband Internet access to every school in Missouri for the first time in state history. The Governor said the state had secured $45 million dollars of funds for the program, including $6 million in state funding and $39 million in matching funds from the FCC’s E-Rate program. Currently, more than one hundred Missouri school districts do not have access to quality Internet because of a lack of Infrastructure. The program will allow those districts to bring quality broadband Internet to their schools via fiber optic connections without expending funds from their local budgets.
US Senate Bill Would Restore FCC Privacy Rules
Legislation introduced by Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass) would restore the FCC’s privacy rules that were overturned by a recent Congressional Review Act resolution. See the Regulatory Mix dated 4/4/17. This includes a requirement that Internet service providers obtain customer consent before sharing their subscriber’s sensitive information and adopt reasonable data security measures. The following Senators are co-sponsoring the bill: Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tom Udall (D-NM), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Al Franken (D-MN).
U.S. Congress National Safe Digging Month
This April marks the 10th annual National Safe Digging Month, reminding all residents to always call 811 before any digging project. National Safe Digging Month is formally recognized by the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate and has traditionally earned the support from nearly every state governor across the country.
Links to a number of states’ sites regarding National Save Digging Month:
- Connecticut link: http://www.cbyd.com/#
- Delaware link: http://www.missutilitydelmarva.com/
- District of Columbia link: http://www.dcpsc.org/Dial811
- Illinois press release: https://www.icc.illinois.gov/downloads/public/Press%20Release%20-%20Safe%20Digging%20Month.pdf
- Maine link: http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=puc-pressreleases&id=740916&v=article08
- Missouri link: https://psc.mo.gov/#
- New Jersey link: with new 8-1-1 number to call before digging: http://www.state.nj.us/rpa/news/2007/070517_call_before_digging.html
- New York link: http://www3.dps.ny.gov/pscweb/WebFileRoom.nsf/ArticlesByCategory/821FC664F9497590852580F8004E20BD/$File/pr17023.pdf?OpenElement
- Ohio link: http://www.puco.ohio.gov/media-rom/media-releases/puco-reminds-ohioans-to-call-8-1-1-before-you-dig2/
- Washington link: https://www.utc.wa.gov/publicSafety/pipelineSafety/Pages/callBeforeYouDig.aspx
And Virginia: see The Regulaory Mix dated 3/31/17.
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The Regulatory Mix, TMI’s daily blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of a TMI Briefing.
