I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 214 
To promote deployment of and investment in advanced Internet 
communications services. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 4, 2005 
Mr. STEARNS (for himself and Mr. BOUCHER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To promote deployment of and investment in advanced 
Internet communications services. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Advanced Internet 
Communications Services Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. REGULATORY TREATMENT. 
(a) CONSIDERATION AS INTERSTATE SERVICE.—An 
advanced Internet communications service shall be consid-
ered an interstate service.
(b) REGULATORY TREATMENT.—An advanced Inter-
net communications service shall be considered neither a 
telecommunications service nor an information service for 
purposes of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
151 et seq.). 
(c) LIMITATION.—Subject to section 3, but notwith-
standing this section or any other provision of law, neither 
the Federal Communications Commission nor any State 
may regulate the rates, charges, terms, or conditions for, 
or entry into, or exit from, the provision of, any advanced 
Internet communications service. 
SEC. 3. COMMISSION EXCLUSIVE AUTHORITY REGARDING 
ADVANCED 
INTERNET 
COMMUNICATIONS 
SERVICES. 
(a) DETERMINATION REGARDING REQUIREMENTS 
AND OBLIGATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall have 
exclusive authority regarding advanced Internet 
communications services, and shall, by regulation, 
impose requirements or obligations on providers of 
advanced Internet communications voice service to 
carry out the following purposes: 
(A) Ensure that appropriate E–911 serv-
ices are available to users of advanced Internet 
communications voice services.
(B) Provide access to such service by per-
sons with disabilities. 
(C) Contribute directly to the universal 
service fund. 
(D) Provide for just and reasonable com-
pensation for use of the public switched tele-
phone network. 
(2) STANDARD.—The Commission may estab-
lish regulations imposing requirements or obligations 
referred to in paragraph (1) only to the extent that 
the Commission determines such regulations are 
technically feasible and economically reasonable. 
(3) PARITY AMONG PROVIDERS.—The Commis-
sion shall ensure that the requirements or obliga-
tions referred to in paragraph (1) apply equally to 
all providers of advanced Internet communications 
voice services, and neither the Commission nor any 
State may regulate the underlying Internet Protocol 
transmission networks, facilities, or equipment that 
support or transmit any advanced Internet commu-
nications voice service in a manner that results in 
the unequal application of regulation to any Internet 
Protocol network, facilities, or equipment as com-
pared to any other such network, facilities, or equip-
ment.
(b) RULEMAKING PROCEEDING.—Within 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commis-
sion shall initiate and complete a proceeding to make the 
determinations required under subsection (a). 
(c) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 60 days after the 
completion of the proceeding pursuant to subsection (b), 
the Commission shall issue any regulations pursuant to 
such proceeding. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
For purposes of this Act: 
(1) ADVANCED
INTERNET
COMMUNICATIONS 
SERVICE.—The term ‘‘advanced Internet commu-
nications service’’ means an IP network and the as-
sociated capabilities and functionalities, services, and 
applications provided over an Internet protocol plat-
form or for which an Internet protocol capability is 
an integral component, and services and applications 
that enable an end user to send or receive a commu-
nication in Internet protocol format, regardless of 
whether the communication is voice, data, video, or 
any other form. 
(2) ADVANCED
INTERNET
COMMUNICATIONS 
VOICE SERVICE.—The term ‘‘advanced Internet com-
munications voice service’’ means an advanced Inter-
net communications service that is offered to the