§ 58-9-3050 — Relationship between electric cooperatives and broadband affiliates; disconnection of electric services based on customer's failure to pay for broadband service.

(A) An electric cooperative may not condition the receipt of electric service on, nor provide more favorable terms for electric service for, persons that receive broadband service from the electric cooperative's broadband affiliate or any other broadband service provider. (B) An electric cooperative may not share confidential information from an unaffiliated communications service provider obtained in a pole attachment request and approval process including, but not limited to, requested locations for pole attachments, the locations of customers to be served, or any identifying information regarding customers with its broadband affiliate or any other communications service provider. (C) An electric cooperative shall not disconnect any customer from receiving electric services based on the customer's failure to pay for broadband service provided to the customer by the electric cooperative's broadband affiliate.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 2020 Act No. 175 (H.3780), SECTION 1, eff September 29, 2020. Editor's Note 2020 Act No. 175, SECTION 6, provides as follows: "SECTION 6. This act does not convey or confer any implied or express grant of authority to an investor-owned electric utility to provide broadband facilities or broadband services as defined in this act and any legal rights which may or may not belong to investor-owned electric utilities to provide broadband facilities or broadband services at the time of the passage of this act are neither expanded nor contracted by its passage."