Connecticut HB 5473: AN ACT CONCERNING THE SATISFACTION OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS QUALITY OF SERVICE STANDARDS AND SETTLEMENTS IN CONTESTED PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5473
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING THE SATISFACTION OF
TELECOMMUNICATIONS QUALITY OF SERVICE STANDARDS AND
SETTLEMENTS IN CONTESTED PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE
PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 16-247a of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 2
1, 2026): 3
(b) As used in sections 16-247a to 16-247c, inclusive, as amended by 4
this act, 16-247e to 16-247h, inclusive, 16-247k, and sections 16-247m to 5
16-247r, inclusive: 6
(1) "Affiliate" means a person, firm or corporation which, with 7
another person, firm or corporation, is under the common control of the 8
same parent firm or corporation. 9
(2) "Competitive service" means (A) a telecommunications service 10
deemed competitive in accordance with the provisions of section 16-11
247f, (B) a telecommunications service reclassified by the authority as 12
competitive in accordance with the provisions of section 16-247f, or (C) 13
a new telecommunications service provided under a competitive service 14
tariff accepted by the authority, in accordance with the provisions of 15
section 16-247f, provided the authority has not subsequently reclassified 16

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the service set forth in subparagraph (A), (B) or (C) of this subdivision 17
as noncompetitive pursuant to section 16-247f. 18
(3) "Emerging competitive service" means (A) a telecommunications 19
service reclassified as emerging competitive in accordance with the 20
provisions of section 16-247f, or (B) a new telecommunications service 21
provided under an emerging competitive service tariff accepted by the 22
authority, in accordance with the provisions of section 16-247f, or of a 23
plan for an alternative form of regulation approved pursuant to section 24
16-247k, provided the authority has not subsequently reclassified the 25
service set forth in subparagraph (A) or (B) of this subdivision as 26
competitive or noncompetitive pursuant to section 16-247f. 27
(4) "Facilities-based carrier" means a provider of telecommunications 28
service that owns, operates or controls infrastructure, including fiber 29
cables, switches and lines, that is used to deliver such service to end-30
users. 31
(5) "Incumbent local exchange carrier" means a telephone company 32
that began providing telephone service in the state before the adoption 33
of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, as amended from time 34
to time. 35
[(4)] (6) "Noncompetitive service" means (A) a telecommunications 36
service deemed noncompetitive in accordance with the provisions of 37
section 16-247f, (B) a telecommunications service reclassified by the 38
authority as noncompetitive in accordance with the provisions of 39
section 16-247f, or (C) a new telecommunications service provided 40
under a noncompetitive service tariff accepted by the authority, in 41
accordance with the provisions of section 16-19, and any applicable 42
regulations, or of a plan for an alternative form of regulation approved 43
pursuant to section 16-247k, provided the authority has not 44
subsequently reclassified the service set forth in subparagraph (A), (B) 45
or (C) of this subdivision as competitive or emerging competitive 46
pursuant to section 16-247f. 47
[(5)] (7) "Private telecommunications service" means any 48

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telecommunications service [which] that is not provided for public hire 49
as a common carrier service and is utilized solely for the 50
telecommunications needs of the person that controls such service and 51
any subsidiary or affiliate thereof, except for telecommunications 52
service which enables two entities other than such person, subsidiary or 53
affiliate to communicate with each other. 54
[(6)] (8) "Telecommunications service" means any transmission in one 55
or more geographic areas (A) between or among points specified by the 56
user, (B) of information of the user's choosing, (C) without change in the 57
form or content of the information as sent and received, (D) by means of 58
electromagnetic transmission, including but not limited to, fiber optics, 59
microwave and satellite, (E) with or without benefit of any closed 60
transmission medium, and (F) including all instrumentalities, facilities, 61
apparatus and services, except customer premises equipment, which are 62
used for the collection, storage, forwarding, switching and delivery of 63
such information and are essential to the transmission. 64
[(7)] (9) "Network elements" means "network elements", as defined in 65
47 USC 153(a)(29). 66
(10) "Voice over Internet protocol service" has the same meaning as 67
provided in section 28-30b. 68
Sec. 2. Section 16-247p of the general statutes is repealed and the 69
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1,