Dear Federal Funding Account Stakeholder,
It has come to the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC’s) attention that some applicants have directly contacted objectors seeking more information as part of their effort to respond to objections. The CPUC has also been made aware that applicants have directly contacted objectors (and vice-versa) requesting that objections and/or applications be withdrawn or modified.
The CPUC neither sanctions nor prohibits such direct contact. Applicants/objectors are not required to request additional information about confidential filings or respond to direct contacts. The CPUC will not moderate nor participate in discussions about objections outside the formal objection process.
Background: Decision 22-04-055, Appendix A directs objections and applicant responses to objections to provide public notice. The CPUC provided instruction on how to submit objections and responses through the Broadband Grant Portal and posted instructions on how to upload confidential objection data into the Kiteworks Secure File Transfer (Kiteworks) site on November 15, 2023. Submitting material that is not confidential through the Kiteworks site is not appropriate. Confidential data must be supported by a document outlining the basis for confidential treatment. All objections and non-confidential data in response to objections must be filed in the Broadband Grant Portal and publicly available.
Sincerely,
Communications Division
