[Davisgig] Fwd: [NDIA Listserv] CA Public Utilities Commission En Banc May 20

Tue May 14 08:57:36 PDT 2019

This looks like a worthwhile meeting to attend.   R.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [NDIA Listserv] CA Public Utilities Commission En Banc May 20
Date: 2019-05-14 09:04
 From: Angela Siefer <angela at digitalinclusion.org>
To: NDIA Affiliates and Friends Listserv <listserv at digitalinclusion.org>

Dear NDIA Affiliates and Friends,On May 20, the California Public
Utilities Commission is holding an “en banc” (which means all the
commissioners will be present) on the future of California’s
Communication Grid. I am on the first panel “Affordability and
Access”. Panelists have been asked to focus the conversation on the
future. This event will be webcast [1]. California’s Public Utilities
Commission is the only public utilities commission in the U.S. that
makes a real attempt at regulating broadband.

~Angela

CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION EN BANC
“THE FUTURE OF CALIFORNIA'S COMMUNICATIONS GRID”

MAY 20, 2019, 10:00 A.M. TO 5 P.M.

SACRAMENTO CITY HALL, COUNCIL CHAMBERS
915 I ST, SACRAMENTO
WEBCAST: HTTP://ADMINMONITOR.COM/CA/CPUC/EN_BANC/20190520/
MORE INFORMATION: HTTP://WWW.CPUC.CA.GOV/CDENBANC/

CALIFORNIA’S COMMUNICATIONS GRID

Recent wildfires have underscored the critical role the communications
grid plays in warning the public, alerting and allowing first responders
to communicate with each other, and connecting wildfire victims to
emergency services and loved ones. The communications grid, like power
and water, is critical infrastructure, yet the state still relies on a
patchwork of statutes and rules from the previous decade often hinder
the state’s ability to ensure access to safe, reliable, and affordable
services.

The communications market is changing rapidly. What began as a
statewide, copper-based telephone network of franchise monopoly local
exchange companies has evolved into a diverse, multi-provider and
multi-technology broadband network that relies on copper, fiber optic,
wireless, and satellite infrastructure. The California Public Utilities
Commission (CPUC) Communications Division is holding a workshop to hear
from a wide range of stakeholders to better understand the state’s
communications needs and challenges in the coming years. This workshop
is the first in a series of stakeholder engagement opportunities to
address how the current processes and regulations will need to evolve to
stay relevant to Californians.

_NOTE__: __Although a quorum of Commissioners, their advisors or other
decision-makers may be present, no action will be taken at this event.
__This En Banc is independent of any CPUC proceeding, and panelists are
forbidden from making ex parte comments related to open proceedings
during their presentations or discussions._

MORNING SESSION

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS FROM COMMISSIONERS (10:00-10:30)

AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESS (10:35-11:30)
_The_ _Affordability and Access panel will focus on the communications
needs of low income and disabled populations in the coming years.
Closing the broadband adoption gap continues to be a challenge.
Questions addressed include: What issues may arise as network speeds
increase and devices proliferate, and how will communications services
continue to be affordable?___
MODERATOR:      Catherine Sandoval, Associate Professor Santa Clara
University School of Law
PANELISTS:        Sunne Wright McPeak, President and CEO, California
Emerging Technology Fund
Angela Siefer, Executive Director, National Digital Inclusion Alliance
Ana Maria Johnson, Program Manager, Public Advocate’s Office

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE (11:30-12:30)
_The Emergency Preparedness and Response panel will focus on the demand
drivers and challenges for emergency communications within the state in
the coming years. The CPUC has open proceedings on utility Public Safety
Power Shut-Off (PSPS) and protections for wildfire victims – both of
which affect communications services and providers. In addition, the
Legislature is considering several bills dealing with 9-1-1 surcharges,
wireless alerts, traffic throttling, and Voice over Internet Protocol.
Given that backdrop, how will the needs of first responders and victims
of natural disasters likely evolve over time?_
MODERATOR:    Alice Stebbins, Executive Director, CPUC
PANELISTS:        Budge Currier, 9-1-1 Branch Manager, Public Safety
Communications, CalOES
                         Kevin Guerrero, Staff Chief, Fire Protection
Operations, CALFIRE
Scott Howland, CIO and Chief, Information Management Division,
California Highway Patrol

BREAK FOR LUNCH: 12:30-1:30

AFTERNOON SESSION

LIBRARIES AND EDUCATION (1:30-2:25)
_High-speed communications networks, like the California Research and
Education Network (CalREN), enable libraries and schools to go beyond
book-based learning by offering multimedia resources and training for
people of all ages. Examples include software coding, 3D printing, and
device lending. Currently, 70%of the State’s 1,132 main and branch
libraries are now connected or will connect to CalREN. The latest data
from K12 High Speed Network show that 80% of California’s K-12 schools
are connected to CalREN, with more than half connected to 1 Gigabits per
second or higher. The Libraries and Education panel will focus on the
demands libraries and schools will put on the communications grid as
more and more activity occurs on the Internet. What challenges do
libraries and schools face in the coming years with regards to the
communications grid?___
MODERATOR:    Blair Levin, Policy Advisor, New Street Research and
Non-Resident Fellow, Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Project
PANELISTS:        Anne Neville-Bonilla, Director, California Research
Bureau
Jerry Winkler, Director, Educational Data Management Division,
California Department of Education
Louis Fox, President & CEO, CENIC
Luis Wong, Chief Executive Officer, California K-12 High Speed Network

ECONOMIC GROWTH AND PROSPERITY (2:30-3:25)
_Businesses large and small – from the family farm to the
multi-national corporation – require internet connectivity to
function, but the lack of broadband options in agricultural and rural
areas prevents many businesses outside California’s major cities from
evolving to embrace 21st century business models. What are the
challenges to economic growth and prosperity created by the lack of
access to the communications grid?_
MODERATOR:    Lloyd Levine, President, Filament Strategies
PANELISTS:        Eric Brown, President, California Telehealth Network
and OCHIN Broadband Network Services
                         Terrance Rodgers, Economic Development Officer,
Rural County Representatives of California
                         Robert Tse, Office of the Assistant
Administrator, Telecommunications Program, USDA
                         David Witkowski, Executive Director, Civic
Technology Initiatives, Joint Venture Silicon Valley

CYBERSECURITY AND COMMUNICATIONS (3:30-4:25)
_Banking transactions, online purchases, reservations, and e-mail are
all encrypted. According to Network World, modern public-key encryption
is sufficient for enterprise requirements, but experts believe the
status quo will soon be threatened by quantum computing. This is just
one example of how cybersecurity and encryption will continue to be
critical areas in the coming years, but how will they likely to evolve?
The Cybersecurity and Communications panel will discuss the challenges
in the coming 5-10 years.___
MODERATOR:    Danjel Bout, Program Manager, Utility Cyber Security
Branch, CPUC
PANELISTS:           Marc A. Glenn, Senior Cybersecurity Intelligence
Analyst, Cal-CSIC
                         Vitaliy Panych, Deputy Chief Information
Security Officer, CA Dep't of Technology
Kellyn Wagner Ramsdell, Intelligence Analyst, Cyber Security Team,
Northern California Regional Intelligence Center

CLOSING COMMENTS (4:30-4:45)

Angela Siefer
Executive Director
National Digital Inclusion Alliance
angela at digitalinclusion.org
614-537-3057

Links:
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[1] http://adminmonitor.com/ca/cpuc/en_banc/20190520/

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Richard Lowenberg, Executive Director
1st-Mile Institute     505-603-5200
Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504,
rl at 1st-mile.org     www.1st-mile.org
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