State of California Public Utilities Commission San Francisco M E M O R A N D U M Date: September 7, 2017 To: The Commission (Meeting of September 14, 2017) From: Kimberly Lippi Public Utilities Counsel IV Lisa Prigozen Public Utilities Regulatory Analyst, Communications Division Subject: Filing Comments in FCC WC Docket 11-10: Modernizing the FCC Form 477 Data Program RECOMMENDATION: The CPUC should file comments in response to the FCC’s released on August 4, 2017 Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“Notice” or The seeks comment on a number of proposed changes to its Form FNPRM). FNPRM 477 data collection program, through which the FCC gathers communications service subscription and deployment information by provider and service type. The CPUC relies on Form 477 data for determining broadband availability and assessing competition. Among other uses, this data is critical for CPUC review of proposed mergers and in implementing the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF). Staff recommends that the CPUC file comments to the FCC that would support the following: Changing the reporting of Form 477 data from every six months to annual reporting, with the expectation that it will lead to reduced delays in states receiving access to the data; Requiring collection of broadband deployment (availability) data at a more granular geographic level, thus increasing the usefulness of Form 477; An FCC requirement that broadband and voice subscription data be collected by census block;
State of California Public Utilities Commission San Francisco M E M O R A N D U M Date: September 7, 2017 To: The Commission (Meeting of September 14, 2017) From: Kimberly Lippi Public Utilities Counsel IV Lisa Prigozen Public Utilities Regulatory Analyst, Communications Division Subject: Filing Comments in FCC WC Docket 11-10: Modernizing the FCC Form 477 Data Program RECOMMENDATION: The CPUC should file comments in response to the FCC’s Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking released on August 4, 2017 (“Notice” or FNPRM). The FNPRM seeks comment on a number of proposed changes to its Form 477 data collection program, through which the FCC gathers communications service subscription and deployment information by provider and service type. The CPUC relies on Form 477 data for determining broadband availability and assessing competition. Among other uses, this data is critical for CPUC review of proposed mergers and in implementing the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF). Staff recommends that the CPUC file comments to the FCC that would support the following: Changing the reporting of Form 477 data from every six months to annual reporting, with the expectation that it will lead to reduced delays in states receiving access to the data; Requiring collection of broadband deployment (availability) data at a more granular geographic level, thus increasing the usefulness of Form 477; An FCC requirement that broadband and voice subscription data be collected by census block;