Ohio awarded nearly $23.7 million in broadband infrastructure funding Friday through its broadband pole replacement and undergrounding program, Gov. Mike DeWine (R) announced. The program, administered by BroadbandOhio, the state's broadband office, will fund six ISPs' projects, spanning 23 counties. The selected ISPs -- Ohio Gig, Charter, South Central Power, Logan County Gig, the Southern Ohio Communications Co. and JB Nets -- submitted 67 applications covering 1,333 utility poles and 3,622 undergroundings.

The New York Senate voted 56-4 on Thursday to require cable and broadband providers to maintain a 24/7 toll-free number for service outages. The bill, SB-6200, now moves to the state assembly for consideration. Sens. James Skoufis (D), Shelley Mayer (D) and Steven Rhoads (R) introduced it in March. The toll-free number would be required to "adequately address a surge in phone call volume" during emergency situations or extreme weather conditions, according to the legislation text. "Any New Yorker will attest to the frustration of contacting a company when an issue arises," said a bill justification. The measure ensures that consumers can "easily reach their service provider to address any issues."

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development announced about $13.7 million in broadband grants Thursday through the state's Home Stretch for Public Housing program. Administered by the Office of Statewide Broadband, the program funds costs associated with fixing and upgrading internal infrastructure in low-income, nonprofit and municipally owned units. The awardees included Comcast, which received about $4.9 million to improve services for 10,000 units across the state. Montgomery County received nearly $7.5 million. Simple Fiber also won nearly $1.3 million to serve Wicomico and Worcester counties. “The money provided through these awards will strengthen Maryland’s digital equity and inclusion efforts across the state” and "ensure that every Marylander has equal access to digital resources, technologies, and opportunities," said Office of Statewide Broadband Director Ronnie Hammond.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) on Wednesday signed into law HB-1056, which amends some local government permitting rules for wireless facilities. It covers applications filed on or after Jan. 1, 2026 (see 2501090044), and requires local governments to approve applications for new facilities or substantial changes to existing ones if they meet certain criteria.

The California Senate voted 29-8, with three non-voting members, to approve a bill requiring the California Public Utilities Commission to "establish a mechanism to include standalone broadband internet access service as a class of lifeline service." State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo (D) introduced the bill, SB-716, in February. It would allow ISPs to receive lifeline subsidies if they offer at least one plan with speeds of at least 100/20 Mbps for no more than $30 per month. The commission would be required to adopt rules by July 1, 2027.

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) vetoed a bill this week that would have established certain requirements for agencies awarding broadband infrastructure grants. "While expanding broadband access and supporting a skilled workforce is an admirable goal, SB-93 introduces several challenges that could undermine its effectiveness," Lombardo said in a letter to the state legislature: "Rather than fostering broad, efficient deployment of broadband, the bill risks creating unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles, stifling competition, and delaying progress." He said the "prescriptive requirements" would "undermine the flexibility needed to administer broadband grant programs effectively."

The California Assembly approved a bill 52-17 on Wednesday requiring ISPs to offer an affordable broadband plan for low-income households (see 2505010040). Assemblymember Tasha Boerner (D) introduced AB-353 earlier this year. "This is not an urban versus rural issue or a Republican versus Democrat issue," she said. "I want to get something fair and reasonable that helps those who need it most."

Streamers don't need to pay franchise fees to a group of Indiana cities, the state Court of Appeals said in a ruling last week. The case stemmed from a 2020 lawsuit that a group of cities filed against Netflix, Disney, Hulu, DirectTV and Dish for not paying franchise fees. A lower court granted the streaming companies' motion for dismissal after the Indiana General Assembly amended the Video Service Franchises Act to exempt the companies retroactively from its franchise fee requirement (see 2305190048). The cities appealed the dismissal and challenged the constitutionality of the amended law. Judge Paul Felix wrote Friday's opinion (case 24A-PL-1657). Judges Melissa May and Elizabeth Tavitas concurred.

A district court judge ordered robocaller John Spiller last week to pay more than $600,000 in attorney fees and costs to eight states for violating a 2023 order barring him from participating in any business in the telecom industry. The 2023 order resulted from a suit brought in 2020 by the states against Spiller and his companies for initiating and facilitating tens of millions of illegal robocalls (see 2303060045).

The Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority decided Wednesday to set a single-line fee of 69 cents a month to support the state's enhanced 911 telecom fund. Commercial mobile radio service providers' subscriber lines aren't subject to the agency's progressive assessment. The fee is based on the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection's annual operating budget, which is more than $38 million for FY 2026, and the number of subscriber lines. The PURA also set a progressive schedule for multi-wireline accounts. The new fee schedule takes effect July 1 and will apply through June 30, 2026. The first quarterly filing for providers under the new structure is due Oct. 27.