CPUC Rights-of-Way Rules -- A Victory for Competitive Telecommunications Providers.OAKLAND Oakland, city (1990 pop. 372,242), seat of Alameda co., W Calif., on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay; inc. 1852. Together with San Francisco and San Jose, the city comprises the fourth largest metropolitan area in the United States. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 2, 1998--The California California (kăl'ĭfôr`nyə), most populous state in the United States, located in the Far West; bordered by Oregon (N), Nevada and, across the Colorado River, Arizona (E), Mexico (S), and the Pacific Ocean (W). Cable Television Association (CCTA (Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency, London, www.ogc.gov.uk) An agency of the U.K. government's Office of Government Commerce that has been providing IT advice and guidance to the public sector for over 25 years. ) today applauded the California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC CPUC California Public Utilities Commission CPUC Current Procurement Unit Cost ) recent decision to require nondiscriminatory access to all rights-of way for competitive local carriers. The CPUC, on Oct. 22, ordered the incumbent local telephone companies and the major electric utilities in the state to allow cable providers, and other telecommunication telecommunication Communication between parties at a distance from one another. Modern telecommunication systems—capable of transmitting telephone, fax, data, radio, or television signals—can transmit large volumes of information over long distances. companies, equal access to their poles, conduits and rights-of-way. "This is a significant decision," said Alan Gardner, Vice President of Regulatory and Legal Affairs. "It not only moves us closer to the concrete ground rules we need for local competition, but protects consumers from artificial rate increases for new services based on arbitrary pole and conduit conduit /con·du·it/ (kon´doo-it) channel. ileal conduit the surgical anastomosis of the ureters to one end of a detached segment of ileum, the other end being used to form a stoma on the charges." In its decision, the CPUC issued "guiding principles" and minimum performance standards -- rather than detailed pole attachment rules -- to deal with the variety of connection and conduit combinations. The CPUC said detailed rules could slow the growth of competitive facilities-based providers. Rates and terms will be left to negotiations among parties. The CPUC final rights of way decision agreed with key comments submitted by CCTA in the proceeding. These included confirming the 1978 state statute providing cable company access to poles and conduits at reasonable rates, and establishing uniform rates for all cable and competitive local exchange carriers. |
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