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TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 58-3-135 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE SOUTH CAROLINA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION SHALL ADOPT REGULATIONS THAT REQUIRE BROADBAND PROVIDERS TO SUBMIT REPORTS PERIODICALLY TO THE COMMISSION ON THE DEPLOYMENT OF BROADBAND INTERNET SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC, TO SPECIFY THE REQUIRED CONTENTS OF THE REPORTS, TO REQUIRE THE COMMISSION TO PUBLISH THE REPORTS ON THE COMMISSION WEB SITE, AND TO DEFINE CERTAIN TERMS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Chapter 3, Title 58 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 58-3-135. (A) As used in this section:
(1) 'Broadband provider' means a person who sells or otherwise provides broadband service to customers.
(2) 'Broadband service' means an Internet service where data transmission speeds exceed seven hundred sixty-eight kilobits per second (KBPS) in at least one direction, and includes digital subscriber line (DSL), cable modem, wireless broadband, and broadband over power lines (BPL).
(B) The South Carolina Public Service Commission shall adopt regulations that require a broadband provider to submit a report quarterly to the commission on the deployment of broadband service to the public that exceeds seven hundred sixty-eight KBPS.
(C) A report submitted by a broadband provider must:
(1) identify where the broadband provider provides broadband service to customers in the broadband provider's service territory, broken down by nine digit zip codes;
(2) state the percentage of households in the broadband provider's service territory, broken down by nine digit zip codes, that is offered broadband service by the provider and the percentage of households that subscribe to the provider's broadband service;
(3) state the upload and download data transmission speeds that are available to customers in the broadband provider's service territory, broken down into nine digit zip codes;
(4) state the average price per megabyte of download and upload data transmission speeds in the broadband provider's service territory, broken down by nine digit zip codes; and
(5) report new services and upgrades to existing broadband services in the broadband provider's service territory, broken down by nine digit zip codes.
(D) The commission shall publish each report on the commission's web site."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
This web page was last updated on Monday, June 22, 2009 at 2:58 P.M.