House committee advances draft requiring notices, reporting as phone networks shift from copper to fiber

The House Energy and Digital Infrastructure committee on Feb. 5 reviewed draft 1.2 of committee bill DR260726, a measure aimed at steering how telecommunications providers notify customers and regulators when network infrastructure moves from copper-based to fiber-based systems.

The draft would require carriers to send a written notice by first-class mail and by electronic mail, and to notify both the Commissioner of Public Service and the 911 board before a transition, Maria Royal, legislative counsel, told the committee. "This is concerning the transition from a copper based network to a fiber based network," Royal said, describing the bill's revisions and the color-coded draft that incorporates committee and Department of Public Service (DPS) suggestions.

Why it matters: Committee members said the changes may affect consumer access to voice service, emergency-911 reliability, and the state’s ability to monitor vulnerabilities as providers move customers to fixed VoIP or other replacement voice services. Jim Porter, director for public advocacy at the Department of Public Service, said Vermont "sort of has gone all in on fiber to the home," while Daniel Burke, staff attorney and hearing officer at the Public Utility Commission…