12/16/16 Internal Review Draft; Subject to ALJ Division Review

A.16-06-014 ALJ/DB3/avsPROPOSED DECISION

[12/16/16] Internal Review Draft; Subject to ALJ Division Review

CONFIDENTIAL; Deliberative Process Privilege

ALJ/DB3/avsPROPOSED DECISIONAgenda ID #15492

Ratesetting

Decision

BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

In the Matter of Atherton Fiber, LLC for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to Provide Full Facilities-Based and Resold Local Exchange Service in AT&T California; Frontier Communications, and Consolidated Communications Local Exchange Areas, and IntraLATA and InterLATA Interexchange Telephone Service Statewide. / Application 16-06-014
(Filed June 30, 2016)

DECISION GRANTING ATHERTON FIBER, LLC A CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY IN ORDER TO PROVIDE RESOLD
AND FULL FACILITIES-BASED COMPETETIVE LOCAL EXCHANGE SERVICE AND INTEREXCHANGE SERVICE

Summary

Pursuant to Public Utilities Code §1001, we grant Atherton Fiber, LLC, a certificate of public convenience and necessity to provide resoldandfull facilitiesbased competitive local exchange telecommunications servicesand interexchange service in Californiasubject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Ordering Paragraphs.

We also authorize Atherton Fiber, LLC to utilize the procedure for 21-day expedited environmental review by the California Public Utilities Energy Division staff if Cal.net wishes to engage in full facilities-based construction activities that involve potential statutory or categorical exemptions from the California Environmental Quality Act as described in the application.

This proceeding is closed.

1. Background

On June 30 , 2016, Atherton Fiber, LLC, (Atherton), a limited liability corporation authorized to do business in California filed an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) to provide resold and full facilitiesbased telecommunications services in the service territories of Pacific Bell Telephone Company d/b/a AT&T California (AT&T), Citizens Telecommunications Company of California, Inc. d/b/a Frontier Communications of California (Frontier Communications), and Consolidated Communications of California Company (Consolidated, formerly SureWest Telephone)[1] andinterexchange service in California.

Atherton proposes to provide local exchange services to business and residential customers. Atherton will focus on the provision of ultra-high speed broadband at speeds of 1 GB/second download. After establishing the customer base and determining demand, Atherton will obtain the necessary switching facilities to provide for time division multiplexed (TDM) traffic. Upon approval of its application, Atherton will immediately request the initiation of negotiations for interconnection agreements with AT&T and other relevant incumbent local exchange carriers.

Atherton will install its equipment on or in existing infrastructure such as utility poles and conduit wherever possible. Atherton will place its own fiber-housing infrastructure if there are no commercially reasonable options using existing infrastructure. To access Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILEC) structures, Atherton must enter into an Interconnection Agreement (ICA) with the ILEC.

The voice traffic transported on Atherton’s network may include calls originated in TDM or Internet Protocol (IP) format. Some voice services may originate as IP, but then must be converted to TDM in order to complete the calls to their intended recipients via trunks connected to ILEC access tandems. Atherton will use IP technology to provide both voice and data services.

Atherton’s principal place of business is located at 260 Oak Grove Avenue, Atherton, CA, 94027.

2.Jurisdiction

Public UtilitiesCode (Pub. Util. Code) Section 216(a) defines the term “Public utility” to include a “telephone corporation,” which in turn is defined in Pub. Util. Code Section234(a) as “every corporation or person owning, controlling, operating, or managing any telephone line for compensation within this state.”

Atherton seeks to enter the California market as a provider of local and interexchange service, as well as switched access service, long distance resale, advanced services and ultra-high speed broadband internet access. Atherton will offer local exchange and intrastate service in all exchange areas served as the incumbent local exchange carrier by AT&T California, Frontier Communications and Consolidated. Atherton is a telephone corporation and a public utility subject to our jurisdiction.

Atherton provided certification that it is a Common Carrier as defined by Section 153 of the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Act) eligible to interconnect with the public switched telephone network pursuant to Sections251 and 252 of the Act, and that if granted a CPCN, it will operate as a telephone corporation under Pub. Util. Code Section 234(a), and obey the Code and all Commission rules, decisions, and orders applicable to telephone corporations.

3. California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)

Pursuant to CEQA and Rule2.4[2] of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, the Commission examines projects to determine any potential environmental impacts in order that adverse effects are avoided and environmental quality is restored or enhanced to the fullest extent possible under CEQA.

In its application, Atherton is proposing to build a fiber optic distribution network in the town of Atherton. This network will provide an optical fiber from a central Point of Presence (POP) to individual buildings such as residences, schools, or government facilities, and will dramatically improve the connection speeds available to computer users compared with technologies available in Atherton. The distribution network will be a hybrid of a point-to-multipoint network and a point-to-point network.

The POP will be built on a site made available to Atherton by the town of Atherton (Town’s). Feeder cables will run from the POP to the primary fiber concentration point, and the number of fibers in the cable will vary from 144 to 864. These cables may be installed either underground or aerially. Aerial cable deployment will mostly use existing telephone/power poles, although some new poles may need to be installed. Underground cables will take advantage of existing ducts which may be available or will require installation of new ducts to house the cables using either directional drilling or trenching.

These activities fall within the following classes of projects that are exempt from CEQA and for which neither an Environmental Impact Report nor a Negative Declaration is required.

• Class1Exemption: operation, repair, maintenance, leasing or minor alteration of existing public or private structures and facilities, with negligible or no expansion of an existing use. This includes existing facilities used to provide public utility services. 14CCR §15301.
• Class3Exemption: construction including water main, sewage, electrical, gas and other utility extensions of reasonable length to serve such construction. This includes the construction of limited numbers of new small facilities or utility extensions. 14CCR §15303.

Atherton will operate by installing equipment in or on existing streetlights, poles, towers, buildings, fiber, conduits, ducts, rights-of-way, trenches and other facilities and structures. Atherton’s proposed activities involve construction of reasonably short utility extensions (Class3). Feeder cable will eventually need to convert to smaller distribution cables, and will be done at a Fiber Concentration Point (FCP), which is an enclosure which may be pole-mounted, underground, or at street level. At this stage, the feeder cable fibers are separated and made available, via a patch panel, for further routing via the outgoing distribution cables.

Distribution cabling will further the FCP to a demarcation enclosure located on the Town’s right-of-way in front of the subscriber’s premises and does not usually exceed distances of about half a mile. These cables may be ducted, direct buried, grouped within a common micro-duct bundle, or deployed aerially using existing infrastructure. The demarcation enclosure will make one or more fiber optic connections available to the subscriber. The final link between the demarcation enclosure and the subscriber’s active equipment (the Optical Network Unit or ONU) will only be installed once service has been requested by the subscriber.

Exemption of these activities are consistent with Commission precedent. Atherton’s proposed new construction activities are similar to those undertaken by other carriers that we have decided are categorically exempt from CEQA. See,e.g, D.0604063 (ClearLinx Network Corporation); D.0604067 (CACLEC LLC).

Atherton requests approval to utilize a procedure for expedited review of its projects once it is aware of a specific site(s) in which it plans construction. The proposed procedure tracks the expedited review procedure that we have approved for other carriers. Such a process will expedite CEQA review and is appropriate for the type of construction outlined here, which will be categorically exempt. By establishing this expedited review process, we are able to review the information on a specific project to confirm that it is categorically exempt from CEQA or to explain why further environmental review is required. At the same time, the proposed CEQA review process will enable Atherton to undertake construction of its projects in an efficient manner without experiencing delays caused by an unnecessarily protracted CEQA review.

Similar to the procedure approved for other carriers, the following procedure will be used to obtain Commission approval of Atherton’s claimed CEQA exemptions for proposed construction projects:

• Atherton will provide the Commission’s Energy Division with:
• A detailed description of the proposed project, including:
• Customer(s) to be served;
• The precise location of the proposed construction project; and
• Regional and local site maps.
• A description of the environmental setting, to include at a minimum:
• Cultural, historical, and paleontological resources;
• Biological resources; and
• Current land use and zoning.
• A construction workplan, to include:
• Commission Preconstruction Survey Checklist—Archaeological Resources;
• Commission Preconstruction Survey Checklist—Biological Resources;
• A detailed schedule of construction activities, including site restoration activities;
• A description of construction/installation techniques;
• A list of other agencies contacted with respect to siting, land use planning, and environmental resource issues, including contact information; and
• A list of permits required for the proposed project.
• A statement of the CEQA exemption(s) applicable to the proposed project; and
• Documentation and factual evidence sufficient to support a finding that the claimed exemption(s) is (are) applicable.
• The Energy Division will review Atherton’s submission for the proposed project to confirm that the claimed exemption(s) from CEQA are applicable.
• Within 21 days from the date of Atherton’s submittal, the Energy Division will issue either:
• A Notice to Proceed (NTP) and file a Notice of Exemption with the State Clearinghouse, Office of Planning and Research, or
• A letter of denial stating the specific reasons why the claimed exemption(s) are not applicable to the proposed project.

We have reviewed the application and Supplement and find that:

• Atherton’s proposed facilitiesbased project activities are very limited;
• These activities would in almost all circumstances be very likely to qualify for an exemption from CEQA; and
• The proposed process for reviewing the applicability of CEQA exemptions to Atherton’s facilitiesbased projects is not only adequate for the Commission’s purposes as CEQA Lead Agency, but is also in the public interest because it enables Atherton to respond in a timely manner to requests for service without the delay or burden of a full CEQA review when such review is unnecessary.

We therefore approve Atherton’s proposed process for Commission review of claimed CEQA exemptions for construction projects undertaken pursuant to Atherton’s full facilitiesbased authority, based on the specific facts of this case with the following modifications related to the Commission’s Energy Division review and approval or disapproval of the proposed exemptions.

• If the Energy Division disapproves Atherton’s claimed CEQA exemption(s) and issues a letter of denial to Atherton, Atherton must either redesign the specific project and facilities and then reapply for a finding of exemption from CEQA, or file a formal application with the Commission seeking the requisite approval and full CEQA review, before commencing any construction activities.

Atherton shall not perform any full facilitiesbased construction activities without first obtaining an NTP from the Energy Division or authorization by the Commission after the requisite environmental review.

We have previously determined that the public convenience and necessity require that competition be allowed in the provision of competitive local exchange service, Rulemaking (R.)9504043/Investigation (I.)9504044. Granting this application will benefit the public interest by expanding the availability of technologically advanced telecommunications services within the state.

4. Financial Qualifications

To be granted a CPCN, an applicant for authority to provide competitive fullfacilities based and resold competitive local exchange and interexchange services must demonstrate that it has a minimum of $100,000 cash or cash equivalent, reasonably liquid and readily available to meet the firm’s startup expenses.[3] An applicant must also demonstrate that it has sufficient additional resources to cover all deposits required by local exchange carriers and/or interexchange carriers in order to provide the proposed service.[4] In the application, Atherton provided evidence of a Certificate of Deposit (CD) showing that $100,000[5] plus an amount equal to the deposit required by AT&T, Frontier Communications, and Consolidated would be available for purposes of satisfying the financial documentation requirements certification.[6] Since Atherton has provided documentation that it possesses a minimum of $100,000 that is reasonably liquid and available, it has demonstrated that it has sufficient funds to meet its startup expenses and has fulfilled this requirement. The Atherton financial documentation will be subject to verification and review by the Commission for one year to ensure that such funds are available.

Atherton proposed to initially interconnect with AT&T, Frontier Communications, and Consolidated. In addition to the $100,000 discussed above, Atherton has provided documentation that it has the funds available for the deposit required by AT&T, Frontier Communications, and Consolidated.[7] Therefore, no additional resources are required at this time to cover deposits.

5. Technical Qualifications

To be granted a CPCN for authority to provide competitive local exchange and interexchange service, an applicant must make a reasonable showing of managerial and technical expertise in telecommunications or a related business.[8] Atherton supplied biographical information on its management in Exhibit G to its application that demonstrated that it has sufficient expertise and training to operate as a telecommunications provider.[9]

In its application, Atherton verified that no one associated with or employed by Atherton as an affiliate, officer, director, partner, or owner of more than 10 percent of Atherton: (a) held one of these positions with a company that filed for bankruptcy; (b) been personally found liable, or held one of these positions with a company that has been found liable, for fraud, dishonesty, failure to disclose, or misrepresentations to consumers or others; (c) been convicted of a felony; (d) been the subject of a criminal referral by judge or public agency; (e)had a telecommunications license or operating authority denied, suspended, revoked, or limited in any jurisdiction; (f) personally entered into a settlement, or held one of these positions with a company that has entered into settlement of criminal or civil claims involving violations of sections 17000 et seq., 17200 et seq., or 17500 et seq. of the California Business & Professions Code, or of any other statute, regulation, or decisional law relating to fraud, dishonesty, failure to disclose, or misrepresentations to consumers or others; or (g) been found to have violated any statute, law, or rule pertaining to public utilities or other regulated industries; (h) entered into any settlement agreements or made any voluntary payments or agreed to any other type of monetary forfeitures in resolution of any action by any regulatory body, agency, or attorney general; or (i) is being, or has been investigated by the Federal Communications Commission or any law enforcement or regulatory agency for failure to comply with any law, rule or order.

For the above reasons, we find that Atherton is in compliance with the requirements of D.9512056.

6. Tariffs

Commission staff reviewed Atherton’s draft tariffs for compliance with commission rules and regulations. The deficiencies are noted in Attachment A to this Decision. In its compliance tariff filing, Atherton shall correct these deficiencies as a condition of our approval of its application.

7. Map of Service Territory

To be granted a CPCN for authority to provide local exchange service, an applicant must provide a map of the service territories it proposes to serve.[10] In its Response, Atherton provided a map of the location of its proposed service territory, in compliance with this requirement.

8. Rule3.1(i) Statement (Include for Full Facilities Only)

Rule3.1(i) sets forth the requirement that a utility filing an application under PublicUtility Code §1001, provide a statement regarding General Order (GO)104A, Section2. Atherton states that it is not aware of any reportable matters pursuant to General Order104A, Section2. Atherton, therefore, has nothing to report under this rule.

On a going forward basis, though, Atherton must file all reports required of a public utility under Commission jurisdiction.

9. Expected Customer Base

Atherton provided its estimated customer base for the first and fifth years of operation in Exhibit F of its application. Therefore, Atherton has complied with this requirement.

10. Request for Treatment as a Nondominant Carrier

Applicantrequests treatment as a nondominant interexchange carrier, which would include exemption from the requirements of Pub. Util. Code§§816830 concerning stocks and security and §851 concerning the encumbrance and transfer of utility property. The Commission detailed its rules regarding exemption of nondominant carriers in D.8501008, and subsequently modified in D.8507081 and D.8511044. We grant Applicant’s request for nondominant interexchange carrier status, provided that they follow all rules detailed in the above referenced decisions.

11. Safety Considerations

With the adoption of the Safety Policy Statement of the California Public Utilities Commission on July 10, 2014, the Commission has, among other things, heightened its focus on the potential safety implications of every proceeding. We have considered the potential safety implications here. We feel satisfied that Atherton will meet the Commission’s minimum safety goals and expectations of CLEC’s because: (1) Atherton has taken steps to meet the financial requirements as set forth in this decision for a facilities-based CLEC, and (2) Atherton is a public utility that is required pursuant to Pub. Util. Code § 451 to “… furnish and maintain such adequate, efficient, just and reasonable service, instrumentalities, equipment, and facilities, including telephone facilities … as are necessary to promote the safety, health, comfort, and convenience of its patrons, employees, and the public.”