Press Release

PUC Chairman DeFrank Appointed to FCC’s Federal-State Joint Board on Jurisdictional Separations

Published on 5/3/2024

Filed under: Telecommunications

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) appointed PUC Chairman Stephen M. DeFrank to its Federal-State Joint Board on Jurisdictional Separations, which oversees the apportioning of regulated costs between interstate and intrastate jurisdictions.

“I thank the FCC on this appointment and look forward to serving on the Federal-State Joint Board on Jurisdictional Separations,” Chairman DeFrank said.  “The telecommunications industry is continually evolving, and as regulators we continue playing a pivotal role in ensuring all consumers have access to reliable and affordable communications services.  I welcome the opportunity to serve in this capacity.”

Chairman DeFrank, who also serves as Co-Vice Chair of the Committee on Telecommunications of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), noted that the primary purpose of separations is to determine whether local exchange carriers (LECs) costs of providing regulated services are to be recovered through its rates for intrastate services or through its rates for interstate services.

In addition to his national work with telecommunications, Chairman DeFrank is a member of NARUC’s Advanced Nuclear State Collaborative, a member of NARUC’s Electric Vehicles State Working Group and a board member of the Organization of PJM States (OPSI).

Nominated to serve as PUC Commissioner by Gov. Tom Wolf on Sept. 20, 2022, and then confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate on Oct. 19, 2022, DeFrank was soon after elected as Vice Chairman of the Commission on October 27, 2022.  He was appointed as Chairman on Aug. 30, 2023, by Governor Josh Shapiro. His term will expire on April 1, 2025.

About the PUC

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

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Contact:

• David Hixson
  Deputy Press Secretary
  717-772-2766
  dhixson@pa.gov