This bill would revise and recast the Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2006 to, among other things, rename the act as the Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2024 and authorize the commission to exercise the authority, jurisdiction, and powers authorized to be exercised by a franchise authority pursuant to certain federal law. The bill would revise and recast various provisions regarding applications for a state franchise. This bill would require the commission to enforce customer service requirements for a holder of a state franchise and would increase the maximum amount of a penalty that a local entity may assess against a holder of a state franchise that materially breaches specified Provisions. This bill would require the commission to hold at least one public hearing on an application for a state franchise and would require the commission to hold 2 public hearings before approving a holder’s application for renewal. The bill would require the commission to annually submit a report to the Legislature regarding its activities in administering cable franchises pursuant to the act.

This bill would require the CPUC, as part of a new or existing proceeding, to establish an expedited process by which a telephone corporation that offers broadband service may become an eligible telecommunications carrier for the purpose of providing stand-alone broadband service as part of the state or federal lifeline program, or both. The bill would require a telephone corporation to be eligible for the expedited process regardless of whether broadband service is provided by the telephone corporation or its affiliate.

This bill would make moneys in the California Advanced Services Fund Broadband Public Housing Account available instead for grants and loans to finance projects to connect broadband networks that offer broadband service for residents of low-income communities and would revise the requirement that the broadband service be free to require certain grantees to provide residential subscribers within low-income communities with free or low-cost broadband internet access service plans. The bill would authorize the commission to award grants to support the deployment of network devices to address barriers to consistent deployment of broadband services in low-income communities. The bill would specify that the requirement to provide free or low-cost broadband internet access service plans does not apply to grantees that are awarded grants for the sole purpose of deploying network devices to improve broadband services.

This bill would require that the map identify, for each address in the state, each provider of broadband services that offers service at the address and the maximum speed of broadband services offered by each provider of broadband services at the address. The bill would additionally require that map to include certain features to receive self-reported data, including, among others, a feature that allows individuals to refute the broadband speed or technology, or both, that an internet service provider claims to offer at an address. The bill would require that map to include a feature for users to submit a verified speed test at their location. The bill would make this self-reported data publicly available by address and would require the commission to obtain consent from an individual before publicly disclosing information that the individual submits. The bill would prohibit the commission from accepting certain self-reported information collected by the commission as evidence in a commission proceeding unless the commission validates the accuracy of that self-reported information.

This bill would revise and recast the Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2006 to, among other things, rename the act as the Digital Equity in Video Franchising Act of 2023, require the commission to conduct any hearings and issue a state franchise or a reject each application for a state franchise not more than 120 days after the commission has deemed the application complete, and extend deadlines related to the commission’s review of applications for state franchises. This bill would establish a policy of the state that subscribers and potential subscribers of a state video franchiseholder should benefit from equal access to video service within the franchise service area, and expand the prohibition on certain cable operators or video service providers from discriminating against, or denying access to service to, any group of potential residential subscribers to include denial of equal access. The bill would require the commission to enforce customer service requirements for a holder of a state franchise and would increase the maximum amount of a penalty that a local entity is authorized to assess on a holder of a state franchise for a material breach of certain customer service and consumer protection standards.

This bill would revise and recast the Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2006 to, among other things, (1) rename the act as the Digital Equity in Video Franchising Act of 2022, (2) revise the definition of “gross revenue” for purposes of calculating the franchise fee for a local jurisdiction, (3) require a franchise applicant to submit a description of the households that are known to be unserved in the video service area footprint that is proposed by the applicant, (4) establish the policy of the state that subscribers and potential subscribers of a state video franchiseholder should benefit from equal access to service within the service area and prohibit a cable operator or video service provider that has been granted a state franchise from denying equal access to service to any group of potential residential subscribers because of the income of the residents in the local area in which the group resides, and (5) repeal the maximum amount of fine that could be assessed for a violation of the equal access requirement.

This bill would authorize the commission to collect information from providers of broadband services at the address level. The bill would prohibit the commission from disclosing residential subscriber information. The Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2006 establishes a procedure for the issuance of state franchises for the provision of video service, defined to include video programming services, cable service, and open-video system service, administered by the commission. The act requires, among other things, the commission to collect granular data on the actual locations served by franchise holders. This bill would specify that actual locations include addresses.

This bill, the Affordable Internet and Net Equality Act of 2022, would require the Department of Technology, in coordination with the Public Utilities Commission and the Department of General Services, to develop and establish the Net Equality Program. The bill would require the state and state agencies, except the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Office of Emergency Services, to only do business with an internet service provider offering affordable home internet service to households participating in certain public assistance programs. The bill would define affordable home internet service to mean internet service costing no more than $40 per month and that meets specified minimum speed requirements. The bill would require these internet service providers to establish a telephone number to sign up eligible households and would require these providers to advertise the availability of affordable home internet service, among other requirements placed on these providers.

This bill would require the department, by January 1, 2024, in consultation with the public, the Public Utilities Commission, and the California Broadband Council, to develop a state digital equity plan. The bill would require the plan to include, among other things, the identification of barriers to digital equity faced by specified populations, including, among other barriers, the availability and affordability of access to fixed and wireless broadband technology. The bill would additionally require the plan to include measurable objectives for documenting and promoting digital equity among those populations and an assessment of existing digital navigator programs. The bill would require the department, to the extent practicable, to obtain all available federal funding for purposes of developing and implementing the plan.