CONNECT Act

To prohibit a State or political subdivision thereof from providing or offering for sale to the public retail or wholesale broadband internet access service, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Communities Overregulating Networks Need Economic Competition Today Act CONNECT Act 2. Prohibition on government owned broadband networks (a) In general Except as provided in subsections (b)(1) and (c), a State or political subdivision thereof may not provide or offer for sale to the public, a telecommunications provider, or to a commercial provider of broadband internet access service, retail or wholesale broadband internet access service. (b) Transitional rule Any State or political subdivision thereof providing or offering for sale, either to the public, a telecommunications provider, or to a provider of broadband internet access service, retail or wholesale broadband internet access service, before the date of the enactment of this section— (1) notwithstanding subsection (a), may continue to provide or offer for sale such service if the Commission finds there is no more than one other commercial provider of broadband internet access that provides competition for that service in a particular area; (2) shall notify each subscriber of the State or political subdivision if a commercial provider of retail broadband internet access enters the market; and (3) may not construct or extend facilities used to deliver broadband internet access service beyond the geographic area in which the State or political subdivision thereof lawfully operates. (c) Exception Notwithstanding subsection (a), this section does not apply to the Tennessee Valley Authority. (d) Rules of construction (1) In general This section may not be construed to restrict a State or political subdivision thereof, from allowing the nondiscriminatory use of its rights-of-way, including access to utility poles, conduits, ducts, or similar support structures used for the deployment of facilities necessary to deliver broadband internet access service. (2) Public safety This section may not be construed to restrict a State or political subdivision thereof, from providing broadband facilities or services for 9–1–1, enhanced 9–1–1 service, or Next Generation 9–1–1. (e) Limitation of Commission authority Notwithstanding any provision of law, including section 706 of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 706 (f) Definitions In this section: (1) 9–1–1 request for emergency assistance The term 9–1–1 request for emergency assistance (2) Broadband internet access service The term broadband internet access service (3) Commonly accepted standards The term commonly accepted standards (A) the technical standards followed by the communications industry for network, device, and Internet Protocol connectivity, including standards developed by the Third Generation Partnership Project, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions, the Internet Engineering Taskforce, and the International Telecommunications Union; and (B) standards that are accredited by a recognized authority such as the American National Standards Institute. (4) Emergency communications center The term emergency communications center (A) Process and analyze 9–1–1 requests for emergency assistance and other gathered information. (B) Dispatch appropriate emergency response providers. (C) Transfer or exchange 9–1–1 requests for emergency assistance and other gathered information with other emergency communications centers and emergency response providers. (D) Analyze any communications received from emergency response providers. (E) Support incident command functions. (5) Emergency response provider The term emergency response provider (A) has the meaning given that term under section 2 of the Homeland Security Act ( 47 U.S.C. 101 (B) includes Federal, State, and local governmental and nongovernmental emergency public safety, fire, law enforcement, emergency response, emergency medical (including hospital emergency facilities), and related personnel, agencies, and authorities. (6) Enhanced 9–1–1 service The term enhanced 9–1–1 service 47 U.S.C. 615b(10) (7) Interoperable The term interoperable (8) Next Generation 9–1–1 The term Next Generation 9–1–1 (A) employs commonly accepted standards; (B) enables the appropriate emergency communications centers to receive, process, and analyze all types of 9–1–1 requests for emergency assistance; (C) acquires and integrates additional information useful to handling 9–1–1 requests for emergency assistance; and (D) supports sharing information related to 9–1–1 requests for emergency assistance among emergency communications centers and emergency response providers. (9) State The term State (10) Telecommunications provider The term telecommunications provider 47 U.S.C. 214(e)(2)

Summary: Communities Overregulating Networks Need Economic Competition Today Act or the CONNECT Act This bill prohibits a state or political subdivision thereof from providing or selling broadband internet access service. Such provision or sale may continue if there is no more than one other commercial provider of broadband internet access that provides competition in a particular area.