SUMMARY AS OF:
7/20/2000--Introduced.
Broadband Internet Regulatory Relief Act of 2000 - Amends the Communications
Act of 1934 to state that an incumbent local exchange carrier (carrier) shall
not be subject to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations with
respect to: (1) the duty to provide to other requesting carriers interconnection
with or notice of changes regarding any packet-based functionality of the
carrier's network; (2) any network element that consists of or is created by a
packet-switched or successor technology; (3) the provision of advanced service;
(4) any premises or structure used solely for packet-switched or successor
network elements; or (5) any optical fiber in the carrier's distribution network
that is used exclusively to provide telecommunications services to residential
subscribers that is or was either deployed: (i) where previously no outside
telephone distribution plant existed; (ii) as a replacement for such a plant; or
(iii) from a remote terminal to a customer premises (with an added requirement
that such facilities be capable of providing certain services through the
upgrade of electronics).
Requires such carrier to make advanced service available: (1) to 80 percent
of its customers in a State within three years after enactment of this Act,
where such services can be provided using an industry-approved standard and
existing loop facilities; and (2) within five years of such date, upon request
of any customer. Allows carriers that meet such time limits to continue to
receive the regulatory relief provided under this Act, while discontinuing such
relief for failure to do so.
Prohibits advanced service offered by such carriers from being subject to
common carrier regulation by the FCC or a State in any exchange where advanced
service is being provided by an unaffiliated advanced service provider. Allows
for a petition to the FCC for such regulatory relief. Prohibits Federal or State
regulation in any geographic area in which the carrier was not the local
incumbent exchange carrier on February 8, 1996. States that, for services not
found to be subject to unaffiliated competition, the carrier furnishing advanced
service must file with the FCC a schedule of charges and practices.
Discontinues the regulatory relief provided under this Act for a carrier for
which a State makes a final determination of failure to comply with FCC or State
rules concerning collocation or loop provisioning (with authorized
reinstatement).
Requires carriers using equipment located in a remote terminal to provide to
any requesting telecommunications carrier access to subloop elements at such
terminal for the provision of advanced services and rights-of- way for such
purposes.
Mandates that no carrier shall be required to: (1) make any payment for the
transport, delivery, or termination of telecommunications to the Internet or any
Internet service provider (making such actions subject to exclusive FCC
jurisdiction); or (2) provide network elements on an unbundled basis unless
those elements are to be used predominately to provide telephone exchange
service.