Bill Text: VA HB387 | 2010 | Regular Session | Prefiled
Bill Title: Telephone utilities; SCC to treat all providers of local exchange telephone service equitably.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2010-04-13 - Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0748) [HB387 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2010-HB387-Prefiled.html
10101619D Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: 1. That §56-235.5:1 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows: §56-235.5:1. Local exchange telephone service competition policy. A. The Commission, in resolving issues and cases concerning local exchange telephone service under the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-104), this title, or both, shall, consistent with federal and state laws, consider it in the public interest to, as appropriate, (i) treat all providers of local exchange telephone services in an equitable fashion and without undue discrimination and, to the greatest extent possible, apply the same rules to all providers of local exchange telephone services; (ii) promote competitive product offerings, investments, and innovations from all providers of local exchange telephone services in all areas of the Commonwealth; and (iii) reduce or eliminate any requirement to price retail and wholesale products and services at levels that do not permit providers of local exchange telephone services to recover their costs of those products and services. B. In order to more equitably treat all providers of local exchange telephone service by ensuring that they are subject to the same rules, the Commission, by July 1, 2011, shall set the rates for intrastate carrier switched access service at the same level as the rate for interstate carrier switched access service that is set by the Federal Communications Commission. The Commission shall thereafter set the rate of intrastate carrier switched access service to conform to the rate for interstate carrier switched access service as appropriate. |