§ 21-1101

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2030) Sec. 21-1101. Requirements to provide video services. (a) The holder of a State-issued authorization shall not deny access to cable service or video service to any potential residential subscribers because of the race or income of the residents in the local area in which the potential subscribers reside. (b) (Blank). (c)(1) If the holder of a State-issued authorization is using telecommunications facilities to provide cable or video service and has more than 1,000,000 telecommunications access lines in this State, the holder shall provide access to its cable or video service to a number of households equal to at least 35% of the households in the holder's telecommunications service area in the State within 3 years after the date a holder receives a State-issued authorization from the Commission and to a number not less than 50% of these households within 5 years after the date a holder receives a State-issued authorization from the Commission; provided that the holder of a State-issued authorization is not required to meet the 50% requirement in this paragraph (1) until 2 years after at least 15% of the households with access to the holder's video service subscribe to the service for 6 consecutive months. The holder's obligation to provide such access in the State shall be distributed, as the holder determines, within 3 designated market areas, one in each of the northeastern, central, and southwestern portions of the holder's telecommunications service area in the State. The designated market area for the northeastern portion shall consist of 2 separate and distinct reporting areas: (i) a city with more than 1,000,000 inhabitants, and (ii) all other local units of government on a combined basis within such designated market area in which it offers video service. If any state, in which a holder subject to this subsection (c) or one of its affiliates provides or seeks to provide cable or video service, adopts a law permitting state-issued authorization or statewide franchises to provide cable or video service that requires a cable or video provider to offer service to more than 35% of the households in the cable or video provider's service area in that state within 3 years, holders subject to this subsection (c) shall provide service in this State to the same percentage of households within 3 years of adoption of such law in that state. Furthermore, if any state, in which a holder subject to this subsection (c) or one of its affiliates provides or seeks to provide cable or video service, adopts a law requiring a holder of a state-issued authorization or statewide franchises to offer cable or video service to more than 35% of its households if less than 15% of the households with access to the holder's video service subscribe to the service for 6 consecutive months, then as a precondition to further build-out, holders subject to this subsection (c) shall be subject to the same percentage of service subscription in meeting its obligation to provide service to 50% of the households in this State. (2) Within 3 years after the date a holder receives a State-issued authorization from the Commission, at least 30% of the total households with access to the holder's cable or video service shall be low-income. Within each designated market area listed in paragraph (1) of this subsection (c), the holder's obligation to offer service to low-income households shall be measured by each exchange, as that term is defined in Section 13-206 of this Act in which the holder chooses to provide cable or video service. The holder is under no obligation to serve or provide access to an entire exchange; however, in addition to the statewide obligation to provide low-income access provided by this Section, in each exchange in which the holder chooses to provide cable or video service, the holder shall provide access to a percentage of low-income households that is at least equal to the percentage of the total low-income households within that exchange. (d)(1) All other holders shall only provide access to one or more exchanges, as that term is defined in Section 13-206 of this Act, or to local units of government and shall provide access to their cable or video service to a number of households equal to 35% of the households in the exchange or local unit of government within 3 years after the date a holder receives a State-issued authorization from the Commission and to a number not less than 50% of these households within 5 years after the date a holder receives a State-issued authorization from the Commission, provided that if the holder is an incumbent cable operator or any successor-in-interest company, it shall be obligated to provide access to cable or video services within the jurisdiction of a local unit of government at the same levels required by the local franchising authorities for that local unit of government on June 30, 2007 (the effective date of Public Act 95-9). (2) Within 3 years after the date a holder receives a State-issued authorization from the Commission, at least 30% of the total households with access to the holder's cable or video service shall be low-income. Within each designated exchange, as that term is defined in Section 13-206 of this Act, or local unit of government listed in paragraph (1) of this subsection (d), the holder's obligation to offer service to low-income households shall be measured by each exchange or local unit of government in which the holder chooses to provide cable or video service. Except as provided in paragraph (1) of this subsection (d), the holder is under no obligation to serve or provide access to an entire exchange or local unit of government; however, in addition to the statewide obligation to provide low-income access provided by this Section, in each exchange or local unit of government in which the holder chooses to provide cable or video service, the holder shall provide access to a percentage of low-income households that is at least equal to the percentage of the total low-income households within that exchange or local unit of government. (e) A holder subject to subsection (c) of this Section shall provide wireline broadband service, defined as wireline service, capable of supporting, in at least one direction, a speed in excess of 200 kilobits per second (kbps), to the network demarcation point at the subscriber's premises, to a number of households equal to 90% of the households in the holder's telecommunications service area by December 31, 2008, or shall pay within 30 days of December 31, 2008 a sum of $15,000,000 to the Digital Divide Elimination Infrastructure Fund established pursuant to Section 13-301.3 of this Act, or any successor fund established by the General Assembly. In that event the holder is required to make a payment pursuant to this subsection (e), the holder shall have no further accounting for this payment, which shall be used in any part of the State for the purposes established in the Digital Divide Elimination Infrastructure Fund or for broadband deployment. (f) The holder of a State-issued authorization may satisfy the requirements of subsections (c) and (d) of this Section through the use of any technology, which shall not include direct-to-home satellite service, that offers service, functionality, and content that is demonstrably similar to that provided through the holder's video service system. (g) In any investigation into or complaint alleging that the holder of a State-issued authorization has failed to meet the requirements of this Section, the following factors may be considered in justification or mitigation or as justification for an extension of time to meet the requirements of subsections (c) and (d) of this Section: (1) The inability to obtain access to public and private rights-of-way under reasonable terms and conditions. (2) Barriers to competition arising from existing exclusive service arrangements in developments or buildings. (3) The inability to access developments or buildings using reasonable technical solutions under commercially reasonable terms and conditions. (4) Natural disasters. (5) Other factors beyond the control of the holder. (h) If the holder relies on the factors identified in subsection (g) of this Section in response to an investigation or complaint, the holder shall demonstrate the following: (1) what substantial effort the holder of a State-issued authorization has taken to meet the requirements of subsection (a) or (c) of this Section; (2) which portions of subsection (g) of this Section apply; and (3) the number of days it has been delayed or the requirements it cannot perform as a consequence of subsection (g) of this Section. (i) The factors in subsection (g) of this Section may be considered by the Attorney General or by a court of competent jurisdiction in determining whether the holder is in violation of this Article. (j) Every holder of a State-issued authorization, no later than April 1, 2009, and annually no later than April 1 thereafter, shall report to the Commission for each of the service areas as described in subsections (c) and (d) of this Section in which it provides access to its video service in the State, the following information: (1) Cable service and video service information: (A) The number of households in the holder's telecommunications service area within each designated market area as described in subsection (c) of this Section or exchange or local unit of government as described in subsection (d) of this Section in which it offers video service. (B) The number of households in the holder's telecommunications service area within each designated market area as described in subsection (c) of this Section or exchange or local unit of government as described in subsection (d) of this Section that are offered access to video service by the holder. (C) The number of households in the holder's telecommunications service area in the State. (D) The number of households in the holder's telecommunications service area in the State that are offered access to video service by the holder. (2) Low-income household information: (A) The number of low-income households in the holder's telecommunications service area within each designated market area as described in subsection (c) of this Section, as further identified in terms of exchanges, or exchange or local unit of government as described in subsection (d) of this Section in which it offers video service. (B) The number of low-income households in the holder's telecommunications service area within each designated market area as described in subsection (c) of this Section, as further identified in terms of exchanges, or exchange or local unit of government as described in subsection (d) of this Section in the State that are offered access to video service by the holder. (C) The number of low-income households in the holder's telecommunications service area in the State. (D) The number of low-income households in the holder's telecommunications service area in the State that are offered access to video service by the holder. (j-5) The requirements of subsection (c) of this Section shall be satisfied upon the filing of an annual report with the Commission in compliance with subsection (j) of this Section, including an annual report filed prior to this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, that demonstrates the holder of the authorization has satisfied the requirements of subsection (c) of this Section for each of the service areas in which it provides access to its cable service or video service in the State. Notwithstanding the continued application of this Article to the holder, upon satisfaction of the requirements of subsection (c) of this Section, only the requirements of subsection (a) of this Section 21-1101 of this Act and the following reporting requirements shall continue to apply to such holder: (1) Cable service and video service information: (A) The number of households in the holder's telecommunications service area within each designated market area in which it offers cable service or video service. (B) The number of households in the holder's telecommunications service area within each designated market area that are offered access to cable service or video service by the holder. (C) The number of households in the holder's telecommunications service area in the State. (D) The number of households in the holder's telecommunications service area in the State that are offered access to cable service or video service by the holder. (E) The exchanges or local units of government in which the holder added cable service or video service in the prior year. (2) Low-income household information: (A) The number of low-income households in the holder's telecommunications service area within each designated market area in which it offers video service. (B) The number of low-income households in the holder's telecommunications service area within each designated market area that are offered access to video service by the holder. (C) The number of low-income households in the holder's telecommunications service area in the State. (D) The number of low-income households in the holder's telecommunications service area in the State that are offered access to video service by the holder. (j-10) The requirements of subsection (d) of this Section shall be satisfied upon the filing of an annual report with the Commission in compliance with subsection (j) of this Section, including an annual report filed prior to this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly, that demonstrates the holder of the authorization has satisfied the requirements of subsection (d) of this Section for each of the service areas in which it provides access to its cable service or video service in the State. Notwithstanding the continued application of this Article to the holder, upon satisfaction of the requirements of subsection (d) of this Section, only the requirements of subsection (a) of this Section and the following reporting requirements shall continue to apply to such holder: (1) Cable service and video service information: (A) The number of households in the holder's footprint in which it offers cable service or video service. (B) The number of households in the holder's footprint that are offered access to cable service or video service by the holder. (C) The exchanges or local units of government in which the holder added cable service or video service in the prior year. (2) Low-income household information: (A) The number of low-income households in the holder's footprint in which it offers cable service or video service. (B) The number of low-income households in the holder's footprint that are offered access to cable service or video service by the holder. (k) The Commission, within 30 days of receiving the first report from holders under this Section, and annually no later than July 1 thereafter, shall submit to the General Assembly a report that includes, based on year-end data, the information submitted by holders pursuant to subdivisions (1) and (2) of subsections (j), (j-5), and (j-10) of this Section. The Commission shall make this report available to any member of the public or any local unit of government upon request. All information submitted to the Commission and designated by holders as confidential and proprietary shall be subject to the disclosure provisions in subsection (c) of Section 21-401 of this Act. No individually identifiable customer information shall be subject to public disclosure.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 100-20, eff. 7-1-17 .)