WASHINGTON-The nation’s top mobile-phone carriers have asked the California Public Utilities Commission to stay the bill-of-rights decision and asked for a rehearing of a ruling that creates a new regulatory regime that other states may adopt to safeguard telecom consumers.
Nextel Communications Inc.-which has been feuding with the other five national wireless operators over a public-safety spectrum interference matter resolved Thursday by the Federal Communications Commission-filed separately.
The industry motions filed with the CPUC represent the first challenge to the CPUC’s May 27 bill-of-rights decision. Carriers, which have adopted a voluntary code of conduct, contend new state regulations are unnecessary, costly to operators and consumers, and harmful to California’s struggling economy. Industry is worried the California decision could spread to other states, making it difficult for national carriers to comply with a patchwork of state rules.
GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, sharply critical of the bill of rights, expects to replace two of the five Democratic members of the CPUC next year. A newly configured CPUC could water down or gut the bill-of-rights decision. Carriers also may chose to appeal the ruling in court.
The bill-of-rights rehearing motions will be handled by the CPUC’s legal division, which will craft a proposed decision for a vote by the CPUC. The process can take 60 days or much longer.
