State SealARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 

HB 2106: corporation commission; internet protocol services

PRIME SPONSOR: Representative Weninger, LD 17

BILL STATUS: Caucus & COW

Commerce: DP 9-0-0-0

Legend: ACC- Arizona Corporation Commission IP- Internet Protocol VOIP- Voice Over Internet Protocol Amendments – BOLD and Stricken (Committee)

Abstract

Relating to the ACC, IP and VOIP services.☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note

Provisions

1.       A person offering or providing IP enabled services or VOIP services is not providing message transmission services or telecommunications service to the public and is therefore not a public service or telecommunications corporation.  (Sec. 1)

2.       Prohibits the ACC from regulating either directly or indirectly, the rates, terms, or service quality standards of IP or VOIP services.  (Sec. 1)  

3.       Asserts the provisions do not affect the ACC's authority to enforce VOIP services under federal law regarding:  fees; interconnection; procedures for negotiation, arbitration and approval of agreements in association with intrastate switched access rates.  (Sec. 1)

4.       Defines Internet protocol-enabled service as a service or application that uses internet protocol or a successor protocol and enables an end user to send or receive a voice, data or video communication.  (Sec. 1)

5.       Defines voice over internet protocol service as a service that meets all of the following:

a.       Real time, two-way voice communication that originates or terminates from the user's location via IP;

b.       Uses a broadband connection from the user's location, and

c.        Allows a user to receive and end calls from a public switched telephone network.  (Sec. 1)

Current Law

The ACC may supervise and regulate every public service corporation in the state.  The ACC encourages competition and growth in the telecommunications industry, promotes economic development and investment in new telecommunications technologies, infrastructure and services.  To further this policy, the ACC must establish procedures and standards for identifying and regulating competitive telecommunications markets (A.R.S. § 40-202). 

A public service corporation cannot raise any rate, fare, toll, rental or charge, or alter any classification, contract, practice, rule or regulation without prior approval of the ACC.  Any state regulation of telecommunication providers that is under the jurisdiction of the ACC must be competitively neutral (A.R.S. § 40-250).

 

 

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Fifty-third Legislature                  HB 2106

Second Regular Session                               Version 2: Caucus & COW

 

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