196.503(1)(1)
Definitions. In this section, “basic voice service" means the provision to residential customers of 2-way voice communication within a local calling area. “Basic voice service" includes extended community calling and extended area service. “Basic voice service" does not include the offering of Internet access service or any discretionary or optional services that are provided to a residential customer, even if provided in a bundle or package with basic voice service.
196.503(2)
(2) Incumbent local exchange carrier obligations. 196.503(2)(a)(a) Notwithstanding any other provision in this chapter, and except as provided in sub.
(3), an incumbent local exchange carrier shall make basic voice service available to all residential customers within a local exchange area in which it operates as an incumbent local exchange carrier.
196.503(2)(b)
(b) An incumbent local exchange carrier may satisfy its obligations under par.
(a) through an affiliate and through the use of any available technology or mode.
196.503(3)(a)
(a) An incumbent local exchange carrier may apply to the commission for a waiver from compliance with sub.
(2) (a) in a local exchange area.
196.503(3)(b)
(b) The commission shall grant a waiver requested under par.
(a) for a local exchange area if any of the following is satisfied:
196.503(3)(b)1.
1. The commission finds that the incumbent local exchange carrier demonstrates that the waiver is in the public interest or that effective competition exists for basic voice service in the local exchange.
196.503(3)(b)2.
2. The commission has made a previous finding of effective competition under s.
196.195 (2), 2009 stats., for basic local exchange service in the local exchange. The commission may not grant a waiver under this subdivision until after June 1, 2012.
196.503(3)(c)
(c) The commission's review of a waiver requested under par.
(a) shall be strictly limited to determining whether any of the criteria specified in par.
(b) 1. or
2. is satisfied.
196.503(3)(d)1.1. Within 120 days of the filing of a waiver request based on par.
(b) 1., the commission shall grant or deny the request and, if denied, the commission shall issue a written decision identifying the reasons for its denial. If the commission fails to grant or deny the waiver request within 120 days of its filing, the waiver request is considered granted by operation of law.
196.503(3)(d)2.
2. The commission shall grant a waiver based on par.
(b) 2. as soon as the commission verifies that the commission has previously made the finding specified in par.
(b) 2., but no later than 20 days after the filing of the waiver request. If the commission fails to grant a waiver request based on par.
(b) 2. within 20 days of its filing, the waiver request is considered granted by operation of law. If the commission denies a waiver based on par.
(b) 2., the commission shall issue a written decision identifying the reasons for its denial.
196.503(4)(a)
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a commission decision prior to June 9, 2011, eliminating an incumbent local exchange carrier's provider of last-resort obligations, by operation of law or otherwise, remains in force and in effect as to the elimination of those obligations.
196.503(4)(b)
(b) Except to enforce this section, nothing in this section provides the commission with any authority to regulate, or any jurisdiction over, incumbent local exchange carriers and the rates, terms, and conditions of their services that the commission does not otherwise have under this chapter.
196.503(5)
(5) Sunset. This section does not apply after April 30, 2013.
196.503 History
History: 2011 a. 22.
196.504
196.504
Broadband expansion grant program; Broadband Forward! community certification. 196.504(1)(ac)1.
1. An organization operated for profit or not for profit, including a cooperative.
196.504(1)(ac)3.
3. A political subdivision that submits an application in partnership with an eligible applicant under subd.
1. or
2. 196.504(1)(ad)
(ad) “Fixed wireless service” has the meaning given in s.
77.51 (3rn), except that it does not include mobile wireless service, as defined in s.
77.51 (7k), or telecommunications services, as defined in s.
77.51 (21n), transmitted through the use of satellite.
196.504(1)(ae)
(ae) “Political subdivision" means a city, village, town, or county.
196.504(1)(am)
(am) “Scalable" means, with respect to a project for a broadband network, that the broadband network has the ability to maintain the quality of its service while increasing parameters relating to the size of the network, such as the number of users, the number of network nodes, the number of services provided, or the network's geographic spread.
196.504(1)(b)
(b) “Underserved" means served by fewer than 2 broadband service providers.
196.504(1)(c)
(c) “Unserved area” means an area of this state that is not served by an Internet service provider offering Internet service that is all of the following:
196.504(1)(c)2.
2. Provided at actual speeds of at least 20 percent of the upload and download speeds for advanced telecommunications capability as designated by the federal communications commission in its inquiries regarding advanced telecommunications capability under
47 USC 1302 (b).
196.504(2)
(2) The commission shall administer the broadband expansion program and shall have the following powers:
196.504(2)(a)
(a) To make broadband expansion grants to eligible applicants for the purpose of constructing broadband infrastructure in underserved areas designated under par.
(d). Grants awarded under this section shall be paid from the appropriations under s.
20.155 (3) (r) and
(rm).
196.504(2)(b)
(b) To prescribe the form, nature, and extent of the information that shall be contained in an application for a grant under this section. The application shall require the applicant to identify the area of the state that will be affected by the proposed project and explain how the proposed project will increase broadband access.
196.504(2)(c)
(c) To establish criteria for evaluating applications and awarding grants under this section. The criteria shall prohibit grants that have the effect of subsidizing the expenses of a provider of telecommunications service, as defined in s.
182.017 (1g) (cq), or the monthly bills of customers of those providers. The criteria shall give priority to projects that include matching funds, that involve public-private partnerships, that affect unserved areas, that are scalable, that promote economic development, that will not result in delaying the provision of broadband service to areas neighboring areas to be served by the proposed project, or that affect a large geographic area or a large number of underserved individuals or communities. When evaluating grant applications under this section, the commission shall consider the degree to which the proposed projects would duplicate existing broadband infrastructure, information about the presence of which is provided to the commission by the applicant or another person within a time period designated by the commission; the impacts of the proposed projects on the ability of individuals to access health care services from home and the cost of those services; and the impacts of the proposed projects on the ability of students to access educational opportunities from home.
196.504(2)(d)
(d) To designate areas of the state that are underserved as underserved areas.
196.504(2)(e)
(e) To designate areas of the state as unserved areas.
196.504(3)
(3) The commission shall encourage the development of broadband infrastructure in underserved areas of the state and do all of the following:
196.504(3)(a)
(a) Provide comprehensive information concerning permits required for broadband network projects and related business activities in the state and make this information available to any person.
196.504(3)(b)
(b) Work with other state and local government offices, departments, and administrative entities to encourage timely and efficient issuance of permits and resolution of related issues.
196.504(3)(c)
(c) Encourage local and federal government agencies to coordinate activities related to approving applications and issuing permits related to broadband network projects.
196.504(4)
(4) A political subdivision may apply to the commission for certification as a Broadband Forward! community. The commission shall prescribe the form and manner for making an application. The commission shall prescribe a process for public notice and comment on an application for a period of at least 30 days after the application is received, except that the process does not apply to an application by a political subdivision that enacts a model ordinance developed under sub.
(9) (a) or submits a written statement under sub.
(9) (b). The commission shall approve an application and certify a political subdivision as a Broadband Forward! community if the commission determines that the political subdivision has enacted an ordinance that complies with sub.
(5). If the process for public notice and comment applies to an application, the commission shall, before approving the application, consider any public comments made regarding the application.
196.504(5)
(5) A political subdivision may not be certified as a Broadband Forward! community under sub.
(4) unless the political subdivision enacts an ordinance for reviewing applications and issuing permits related to broadband network projects that provides for all of the following:
196.504(5)(a)
(a) Appointing a single point of contact for all matters related to a broadband network project.
196.504(5)(b)
(b) Requiring the political subdivision to determine whether an application is complete and notifying the applicant about the determination in writing within 10 days of receiving the application.
196.504(5)(c)
(c) If the political subdivision does not believe that an application is complete, requiring the written notification under par.
(b) to specify in detail the required information that is incomplete.
196.504(5)(d)
(d) If the political subdivision does not make the written notification required under par.
(b), requiring the political subdivision to consider an application to be complete.
196.504(5)(e)
(e) Allowing an applicant to resubmit an application as often as necessary until the application is complete.
196.504(5)(f)
(f) Within 60 days of receiving an application that is complete, requiring the political subdivision to approve or deny the application and provide the applicant written notification of the approval or denial.
196.504(5)(g)
(g) If the political subdivision denies an application, requiring the political subdivision to include in the written notification under par.
(f) evidence that the denial is not arbitrary and capricious.
196.504(5)(h)
(h) Requiring that an application is considered approved and any required permit is issued if the political subdivision does not provide the written notification under par.
(f).
196.504(5)(i)
(i) Providing that any fee imposed by the political subdivision to review an application, issue a permit, or perform any other activity related to a broadband network project is reasonable.
196.504(5)(k)
(k) Allowing all forms, applications, and documentation related to a broadband network project to be filed and signed by electronic or another means authorized by the commission.
196.504(6)
(6) A political subdivision that the commission has certified as a Broadband Forward! community under sub.
(4) may not do any of the following:
196.504(6)(a)
(a) Require an applicant to designate a final contractor to complete a broadband network project.
196.504(6)(b)
(b) Impose an unreasonable fee to review an application or issue a permit for a broadband network project application. Any application fee that exceeds $100 is considered unreasonable.
196.504(6)(c)
(c) Impose a moratorium of any kind on the approval of applications and issuance of permits for broadband network projects or on construction related to broadband network projects.
196.504(6)(d)
(d) Discriminate among providers of telecommunications service, as defined in s.
182.017 (1g) (cq), or public utilities with respect to any action described in this section or otherwise related to a broadband network project, including granting access to public rights-of-way, infrastructure and poles, river and bridge crossings, or any other physical assets owned or controlled by the political subdivision.
196.504(6)(e)
(e) As a condition for approving an application or issuing a permit for a broadband network project or for any other purpose, require the applicant to do any of the following:
196.504(6)(e)1.
1. Provide any service or make available any part of the broadband network project to the political subdivision.
196.504(6)(e)2.
2. Except for reasonable fees allowed under sub.
(5) (i), make any payment to or on behalf of the political subdivision.
196.504(7)
(7) Upon the request of a broadband service provider, the commission may decertify a political subdivision as a Broadband Forward! community if the political subdivision fails to comply with or modifies the ordinance required for certification under sub.
(4) or violates sub.
(6).
196.504(8)
(8) Upon a complaint that an application fee under an ordinance required for certification under sub.
(4) is unreasonable, the commission shall determine whether the fee is reasonable. In the proceeding for making that determination, the political subdivision has the burden of proving the reasonableness of any function undertaken by the political subdivision as part of the application process and the reasonableness of the costs of those functions.
196.504(9)(a)(a) The commission may develop a model ordinance that complies with sub.
(5) for a political subdivision to review applications and issue permits related to broadband network projects.
196.504(9)(b)
(b) If the commission develops a model ordinance under par.
(a) and a political subdivision enacts a different ordinance that complies with sub.
(5), the political subdivision shall, when applying for certification under sub.
(4), provide the commission with a written statement that describes the ordinance and how the ordinance differs from the model ordinance.
196.5045
196.5045
Telecommuter Forward! certification. 196.5045(1)(1)
In this section, “political subdivision" means a city, village, town, or county.
196.5045(2)
(2) A political subdivision may apply to the commission for certification as a Telecommuter Forward! community. The commission shall prescribe the form and manner for making an application and a process for public notice and comment on an application. The commission shall approve an application and certify a political subdivision as a Telecommuter Forward! community if the commission determines that the political subdivision has adopted a resolution that complies with sub.
(3). Before approving an application, the commission shall consider any public comments made regarding the application.
196.5045(3)
(3) A political subdivision may not be certified as a Telecommuter Forward! community under sub.
(2) unless the political subdivision adopts a resolution that does all of the following:
196.5045(3)(a)
(a) States the political subdivision's support and commitment to promote the availability of telecommuting options.
196.5045(3)(b)
(b) Provides for a single point of contact for coordinating telecommuting opportunities that has all of the following responsibilities:
196.5045(3)(b)1.
1. Coordination and partnership with broadband providers, realtors, economic development professionals, employers, employees, and other telecommuting stakeholders.
196.5045(3)(b)2.
2. Collaboration with broadband providers and employers to identify, develop, and market telecommuter-capable broadband packages.
196.5045(3)(b)3.
3. Communication and partnership with broadband providers and economic development professionals to develop common goals.
196.5045(3)(b)4.
4. Promotion of telecommuter-friendly workspaces, such as business incubators with telecommuting spaces, if such a workspace has been established in the political subdivision at the time the political subdivision adopts the resolution.
196.5045(3)(b)5.
5. Familiarity with broadband mapping tools and other state-level resources.
196.5045(3)(b)6.
6. Maintaining regular communication with the state broadband office.
196.5045(3)(b)7.
7. Making regular reports to the governing body of the political subdivision.
196.5045 History
History: 2017 a. 342.
196.505
196.505
Construction of chapter. 196.505(1)(1)
Nothing in this chapter may be construed to deny a foreign corporation the privilege of offering telecommunications services in this state if it has received a certificate of authority under ch.
180 and any other authorization from the commission required under this chapter.
196.505(2)
(2) Nothing in this chapter may be construed to permit ch.
184 or this chapter to apply differently to a foreign corporation which offers telecommunications services in this state than to a similarly situated domestic corporation which offers telecommunications services in this state.
196.51
196.51
Prior permits and franchises validated. Any license, permit or franchise to own, operate, manage or control any plant or equipment for the production, transmission, delivery or furnishing of heat, light, water or power in any municipality is valid and shall not be affected by s.
196.50 (1), if the license, permit or franchise was granted prior to April 3, 1911, to any public utility or was under consideration prior to April 3, 1911, in the governing body of any municipality at the time another public utility operating in the municipality obtained an indeterminate permit.
196.51 History
History: 1983 a. 53.
196.52
196.52
Relations with affiliated interests; definition; contracts with affiliates filed and subject to commission control.
