On a 6-5 vote, the Senate Communications & Technology Committee cleared SB 491, a modernization of state regulations covering rural incumbent carriers, or RLECs, the frontline providers of broadband in rural Pennsylvania.
The legislation is supported by the Pennsylvania Telephone Association (PTA) and business and economic development groups across Pennsylvania.
Prior to approval, sponsor of the bill, Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York), explained to committee members that many of the regulations in the Public Utility Code have been in place for decades even though advancements in technology and in the telecommunications marketplace have made compliance “unnecessary and illogical.”
Chapters 63 and 64 of the Code have not been subject to any comprehensive review to examine their relevancy and application to the realities of today’s telecommunications industry, Phillips-Hill said. The days of monopoly landline telcos are gone, evidenced by the fact that Pennsylvania’s landline telcos provide less than 10- percent of total voice subscriptions in the state.
Under SB 491, the Public Utility Commission will continue to maintain oversight as it pertains to customer complaints, 911, relay service, slamming and cramming, and universal service.
“At a time when we are exploring alternatives to incent broadband deployment by private sector entities, a regulatory framework which diverts resources away from that investment and towards meeting antiquated regulatory requirements must be addressed,” Phillips-Hill said. “This is especially important at a time when Pennsylvania is in receipt of more than $1 billion dollars of federal tax dollars for the deployment of broadband. That should not be slowed down because of an overly excessive regulatory framework.”
President of the PTA, Steven J. Samara, added that getting SB 491 to the governor is vital to not only the RLECs but all the rural homes and businesses increasingly reliant on high-speed broadband.
“These outdated regulations cost the RLECs in both unnecessary time spent and lost investment dollars,” Samara said. “Passage of SB 491 is the key to ensuring that funds for rural broadband will be well invested.”
