The Regulatory Mix, TMI’s daily blog of regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court, issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of a TMI Regulatory Bulletin.
TELECOM
Minnesota
The PUC has denied CenturyLink’s request for a variance from the PUC’s rule governing service interruptions. CenturyLink had asked that it be allowed to clear 85% of all out-of-service troubles within 24 hours of the time the trouble is reported, as opposed to the 95% in the current rule. See the Regulatory Mix dated 5/29/14. The PUC found that CenturyLink had not provided any cost support for its claim that the existing standard imposes extraordinary costs and reduces the company’s competitiveness. Nor did it explain or quantify how reducing the standard to 85% would reduce its costs and increase its competitiveness. The PUC also said that there was insufficient information in the record to conclude that the public interest would not be adversely affected by granting the variance. The PUC noted that, at CenturyLink’s request, it has already initiated a rulemaking proceeding to consider possible amendments to its service quality rules. TMI Regulatory Bulletin Service subscribers see Bulletin dated 8/7/14.
