Today:  California Text Messaging Proceeding, Maryland Rural Broadband Legislation 

California Text Messaging Proceeding

The California PUC revised the procedural schedule associated with its rulemaking to determine whether text messaging services are subject to the Public Purpose Program surcharges and whether it is an information or telecommunications service.  Inteserra Briefing Service subscribers see Briefings dated 2/27/18 and 3/6/18.

The new procedural schedule is set forth in the table below.

Maryland Rural Broadband Legislation

Maryland enacted a rural broadband bill that continues the Maryland Rural Broadband Coordination Board and the Rural Broadband Assistance Fund.  The bill also expands the places where certain nonprofit telecommunications services providers are authorized to install broadband communication infrastructure without incurring a fee for the use of an easement.  Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to complete an inventory of State and local government assets that can be used to assist with the expansion of services to unserved and underserved areas of the State.

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’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 an Inteserra Briefing.