Telephone corporations: carriers of last resort.

Assembly Member McKinnor's telecommunications reform legislation establishes a framework for telephone corporations to modify their "carrier of last resort" obligations while ensuring continued access to essential communication services. The bill creates a process for carriers to seek relief from universal service requirements in areas that are either well-served by multiple providers or have no population requiring service.

Under the new provisions, telephone corporations granted amended status must meet extensive obligations, including expanding fiber optic infrastructure to three times their current customer base within six years, with half of that expansion occurring in underserved areas. The legislation requires carriers to maintain existing basic service for 12 months and offer comparable alternative voice services for 24 months after receiving amended status. Additional requirements include providing discounted broadband plans for eligible low-income households and funding technology upgrade grants for public safety agencies affected by service transitions.

The bill creates the Public Safety Agency Technology Upgrade Grant Fund to support emergency communications infrastructure improvements and mandates specific workforce protections during network transitions. Carriers must retain or retrain union-represented technicians, pay prevailing wages for infrastructure work, and submit detailed workforce compliance plans. The legislation preserves carrier of last resort obligations in non-eligible areas and maintains existing requirements for 911 services and federal telecommunications programs. A comprehensive challenge process allows residents to contest amended status designations, with the Public Utilities Commission authorized to review and enforce all provisions.