FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: PUC Press Office, 415.703.1366, news@cpuc.ca.gov

CALIFORNIA PUC COMMISSIONER APPOINTED TO

NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

SAN FRANCISCO, December 29, 2003 - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) this week named California Public Utilities Commissioner Susan P. Kennedy to a national commission on advanced telecommunications services.

"This appointment gives California a leadership role in today's telecommunications revolution," Kennedy said. "From development of the next generation broadband to the endless possibilities of integrating high speed audio, video and data transmission, advanced telecommunications services is the new frontier in technology."

The Joint Conference was instituted in 1999 as part of the FCC's efforts to ensure that advanced services are deployed as rapidly as possible to all Americans. The Joint Conference is responsible for collecting data regarding deployment of advanced services throughout the nation by telecommunications carriers. The Joint Conference is also charged with fostering dialogue among the FCC, state regulators, and policymakers at the local, state and national level as to how best accelerate the deployment of affordable advanced services to rural and underserved areas of telecommunications users.

"It is in recognition of California's worldwide role as a technology leader that we are represented on this important Commission. I look forward to working with Chairman Powell and my fellow federal and state commissioners on this important and exciting task," Kennedy said.

The PUC oversees investor-owned communications utilities as well as energy and water companies. Kennedy is the Assigned Commissioner on broadband deployment in California and is leading the Commission's efforts to identify factors preventing widespread availability of broadband and other advanced telecommunications services in the state. Legislation signed by the Governor in 2002 requires the Commission to develop a statewide plan to address those barriers by December 31, 2004. (CPUC Docket R.03-04-003).

The Federal-State Joint Conference on Advanced Telecommunications Services consists of 10 state and FCC members. The FCC announced Kennedy's appointment on December 24, 2003: http://www.neca.org/wawatch/wwpdf/122403_2.pdf

Kennedy was nominated to the Joint Conference by the president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners.

For more information on the PUC, please visit www.cpuc.ca.gov. For more information on PUC Commissioner Susan P. Kennedy, please visit http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/static/aboutcpuc/commissioners/kennedy/index.htm.

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