25-0623-EL-CSS

- May 27, 2025: New Era Broadband, LLC, submitted a formal complaint to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) regarding interference between AEP Ohio’s automated metering infrastructure (AMI) deployment and rural broadband service in Meigs County 1 1.

- June 3, 2025: PUCO officially received the formal complaint against American Electric Power Company (AEP) from New Era Broadband and assigned it case number 25-0623-EL-CSS. PUCO sent a copy of the complaint to AEP and directed the utility to respond within 20 days of June 3, 2025. PUCO also issued a letter to New Era Broadband confirming receipt and outlining the next procedural steps 2 2.

- By June 23, 2025: Deadline for AEP Ohio to file its answer to the complaint with PUCO and serve a copy to New Era Broadband. AEP may also file any appropriate motions by this deadline 3 3.

- Next steps: The PUCO will issue an entry explaining the next procedural step in the case after reviewing the answer from AEP. A copy of this entry will be sent to the complainant 2 2.

Docket 25-0623-EL-CSS concerns a formal complaint filed by New Era Broadband, a fixed wireless internet provider serving over 800 customers in Meigs County, Ohio, against American Electric Power (AEP) Ohio. The complaint addresses interference caused by AEP Ohio's deployment of an automated metering infrastructure (AMI) system that uses frequency-hopping radios in the 902-928 MHz unlicensed band, which overlaps with the spectrum used by New Era Broadband to deliver internet to rural customers. This interference threatens to disconnect internet service for 167 households in one of Ohio's most underserved counties.

AEP Ohio has acknowledged the interference but states that both systems are legally permitted under FCC Part 15. AEP has agreed to pause further AMI deployment in the impacted areas for 18 months to allow time for a long-term solution. New Era Broadband requests the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to engage with stakeholders to explore coexistence strategies, consider the impact of regulated utility deployments on essential but unregulated services like broadband, and help facilitate solutions to maintain internet access for affected residents.

The PUCO has acknowledged receipt of the complaint, assigned it a case number, and instructed AEP Ohio to respond within 20 days. The Commission will further issue an entry outlining the next steps in the case 1, 1.

The primary financial and timeline risks and concerns discussed in this docket revolve around the conflict between AEP Ohio’s automated metering infrastructure (AMI) deployment and the operation of New Era Broadband’s rural fixed wireless internet service in Meigs County.

Timeline risks:
- AEP Ohio has agreed to pause further AMI deployment in the impacted areas for 18 months to seek long-term solutions. After this window, if no solution is found, the AMI deployment could resume, which would risk immediate disruption of broadband service to affected households 1, 1.

Financial risks and concerns:
- If the AMI system is fully built out as currently designed, it will render New Era Broadband’s 900 MHz links inoperable, effectively severing internet service to 167 homes. These households may be left without affordable broadband alternatives, which could impact their access to telehealth, school, work, and public safety services 1, 1.
- The broadband provider requests that the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) consider potential funding or support for migration or infrastructure upgrades to maintain broadband access. Without such support, both the provider and affected residents face financial risk due to loss of essential service and possible costs to establish alternative connectivity 1.

In summary, the main risks are:

- An 18-month pause creates urgency for a resolution; failure to resolve will result in service disruption for 167 households.
- Financial burden on the broadband provider and residents if infrastructure upgrades or coexistence strategies are not funded or implemented.
- Broader risk to digital equity efforts in an economically distressed area if no solution is found 1, 1.

The main stakeholders in this docket (PUCO Case No. 25-0623-EL-CSS) are:

- New Era Broadband, LLC: A locally owned fixed wireless internet service provider serving over 800 customers in Meigs County, Ohio. New Era Broadband is the complainant in this case. They are not seeking to block AEP Ohio’s AMI (automated metering infrastructure) project, but are requesting that the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) engage with AEP Ohio and local leaders to explore coexistence strategies or migration funding options, consider the impact of regulated utility deployments in shared spectrum bands, and help facilitate solutions (such as AEP supporting infrastructure upgrades) to maintain broadband access for affected residents. They highlight that if the AMI deployment continues without changes, 167 households risk losing internet service due to radio interference in the 902–928 MHz band 1, 1.

- American Electric Power (AEP) Ohio: The electric utility deploying the AMI system in Meigs County, which operates in the same unlicensed radio spectrum as New Era’s broadband service. AEP Ohio acknowledges that interference is occurring, but maintains that both their AMI system and New Era's broadband are legally permitted under FCC Part 15 rules. AEP Ohio has agreed to pause further AMI deployment in the affected areas for 18 months to allow time for a solution to be found. They are not described as explicitly for or against New Era’s position but have not agreed to any mitigation beyond the temporary pause 1, 1.

- Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO): The regulatory agency handling the complaint. PUCO’s role is to process the complaint, require a response from AEP Ohio, and facilitate the regulatory process. PUCO has not taken a position for or against any proposal as of June 2025, but will issue an entry explaining the next steps in the case 2, 2.

Summary of stakeholder positions:
- New Era Broadband: Seeks coexistence or mitigation strategies, not a block of AMI deployment.
- AEP Ohio: Defends the legality of its AMI deployment, agrees to an 18-month pause but not further mitigation yet.
- PUCO: Neutral regulatory role; has not indicated a stance on either party’s specific proposals.

The docket identifies two main areas of growth:

1. Electric Infrastructure Modernization (AMI Deployment)
- AEP Ohio is actively deploying an Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system in Meigs County, using frequency-hopping radios in the 902-928 MHz band.
- Key consideration: The AMI system's design, which operates at high duty cycles and sweeps the full band, does not support coexistence with other systems in the same spectrum. This has already begun to interfere with existing rural broadband services, and if fully built out, could render 900 MHz broadband links inoperable, disconnecting 167 households from internet service 1, 1.

2. Rural Broadband Service Expansion
- New Era Broadband, a fixed wireless ISP, serves over 800 customers in Meigs County, focusing on difficult-to-reach, non-line-of-sight households using the same unlicensed spectrum.
- Key consideration: The broadband service is critical for telehealth, education, work, public safety, and quality of life in an Appalachian Regional Commission-designated "distressed" county. The expansion and maintenance of this service are threatened by interference from the AMI deployment. Both systems are legally permitted under FCC Part 15, but there is no regulatory mechanism ensuring coexistence in the shared spectrum 1, 1.

Other considerations highlighted include:
- The need for regulatory engagement to explore coexistence strategies or migration funding.
- The potential for collaborative solutions, such as utility support for infrastructure upgrades that would allow continued internet access.
- The broader impact of regulated utility deployments on unregulated but essential broadband services in shared spectrum bands 1.