Cox, Consumer Groups Reject Each Other's Rehearing Requests in California
The telecom industry and consumer groups rejected each other’s requests for rehearing at the California Public Utilities Commission on a decision in docket R.11-12-001 to charge telcos automatic daily fines of up to $25,000 for failure to meet service quality…
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measures (see 1609300044). The Utility Reform Network, California Office of Ratepayer Advocates and other consumer groups rejected a Cox Communications protest that CPUC adopted the fines without adequate support legally or in the record. “Cox fails to demonstrate legal or factual error in its rehearing application,” they wrote in a joint response posted Friday. “Instead, Cox simply rehashes its policy arguments in opposition to several reporting rules and the penalty mechanism that the Decision added to General Order (G.O.) 133-D.” In a separate response Friday, Cox rejected the consumer groups’ protest that the commission closed the proceeding without imposing service quality reporting regulations on wireless carriers or interconnected VoIP providers. “The Commission cannot adopt service quality regulations that apply to VoIP services, and thereby, interconnected VoIP providers,” Cox responded. “Joint Consumers simply repeat arguments previously submitted and they fail to review or respond to record evidence that expressly refutes those arguments.” AT&T and CTIA in separate responses also urged the CPUC reject the consumer groups’ request.