HF 2923

as introduced - 82nd Legislature (2001 - 2002) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to telecommunications; requiring certain 
  1.3             large incumbent local exchange carriers to file a 
  1.4             service and investment plan biennially; amending 
  1.5             Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 237.761, subdivision 
  1.6             8.  
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 237.761, 
  1.9   subdivision 8, is amended to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 8.  [INVESTMENT COMMITMENT.] (a) An alternative 
  1.11  regulation plan must also include Each incumbent local exchange 
  1.12  carrier that serves more than 250,000 local telephone 
  1.13  subscribers in the state and is subject to an alternative 
  1.14  regulation plan under sections 237.76 to 237.774 shall file a 
  1.15  plan outlining the company's commitment to invest in customer 
  1.16  service and telecommunications infrastructure improvements in 
  1.17  this state over a period of not less than six years.  Each 
  1.18  carrier shall file this plan every two years, according to a 
  1.19  schedule established by order of the commission.  The commission 
  1.20  shall approve, reject, or modify the plan, consistent with the 
  1.21  public interest.  The commission shall reject or modify a plan 
  1.22  that it finds does not conform to the requirements of this 
  1.23  subdivision or other state or federal law. 
  1.24     (b) An investment plan shall include all of the 
  1.25  following with respect to customer service commitments: 
  1.26     (1) a description of the level of planned investment in 
  2.1   customer service enhancement, including numbers and types of 
  2.2   customer service representatives and service maintenance workers 
  2.3   the carrier plans to employ in the state over the planning 
  2.4   period; 
  2.5      (2) a description as to how this level of planned 
  2.6   investment will enhance customer service to retail subscribers 
  2.7   in the state, including commitments regarding service initiation 
  2.8   and complaint response times, both for those metropolitan areas 
  2.9   and service territories in greater Minnesota; and 
  2.10     (3) a description as to how this level of planned 
  2.11  investment will enhance customer service for wholesale customers 
  2.12  of the carrier. 
  2.13     (c) An investment plan shall also include all of the 
  2.14  following with respect to infrastructure improvements: 
  2.15     (1) a description of the level of planned investment in 
  2.16  technological or infrastructure enhancement; 
  2.17     (2) a description of the extent to which planned investment 
  2.18  will make new telecommunications technology available to 
  2.19  customers or expand the availability of current technology; 
  2.20     (3) a description of the planned deployment of fiber-optic 
  2.21  facilities or broad-band broadband capabilities to schools, 
  2.22  libraries, technical colleges, hospitals, colleges and 
  2.23  universities, and local governments in this state; and 
  2.24     (4) a description of planned investment and deployment of 
  2.25  higher speed telecommunications services and increased capacity 
  2.26  for voice, video, and data transmission, in both the 
  2.27  metropolitan and outstate portions of the company's service 
  2.28  territory. 
  2.29     (d) A violation of a commitment of an approved plan 
  2.30  subjects the violator to the penalties provided for in sections 
  2.31  237.461, subdivision 3, and 237.462.