| HB 0518 |
Neutral | City Franchise Fees on Telecommunications - Change Calculation |
Lee Hawkins |
|---|
|
2/20/2018 |
House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute |
Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications |
- | - |
|
|
| This legislation reduces the rate which the Georgia DOT may charge for the installation of telephone and other communications facilities in its right to $100 per linear mile annually. Furthermore, it caps the amount of franchise fees a city can charge telephone companies that do not have retail end user customers within its jurisdiction at $100 per linear mile. |
| HR 1539 |
Support | Study Committee on Technology and Taxation in the Public Right of Way |
Brett Harrell |
|---|
|
3/19/2018 |
House Second Readers |
Transportation |
- | - |
|
|
| This resolution, mirroring SR 1019, creates the House study committee on Advanced Communications Technologies and the Use of State and Local Government Right of Way. The study committee (made up of five House members, one mayor, one county commissioner and three experts on communications deployment or taxation issues) will study state and local laws/regulations pertaining to the use public right of way to deploy advanced broadband, video and voice technologies; whether these advanced technologies are, or should be, treated differently than current technologies in terms of regulation, taxation and other matters; and whether state laws should be changed in this area. |
| SB 0232 |
Support | Broadband - Authorize EMCs to Provide |
Steve Gooch |
|---|
|
3/5/2018 |
House Second Readers |
Ways and Means |
Regulated Industries and Utilities |
- |
|
|
| This legislation authorizes EMCs to provide broadband service, VoIP, wireless services and other emerging communications technologies within their service areas and a 5-mile radius thereof. EMCs would be allowed to accept state, federal and private grants loans to fund this endeavor, but cannot cross-subsidize their broadband services from their electric or natural gas funds. To do this, EMCs must provide nondiscriminatory, competitively neutral and commercially reasonable terms, conditions and access to their utility poles for other communications service providers. |
| SB 0256 |
Support | State Properties Commission - Broadband Leases in Certain Counties |
Blake Tillery |
|---|
|
2/27/2017 |
Senate Read and Referred |
- | Regulated Industries and Utilities |
- |
|
|
| This legislation allows the State Properties Commission to enter into leases in Tier 1 (least developed) counties without seeking approval from the General Assembly. Broadband companies could obtain favorable lease terms from the State Properties Commission for purposes of expanding broadband services in those counties. |
| SB 0426 |
Support | Broadband - EMCs and Rural Telephone Cooperatives Authorized to Provide |
Steve Gooch |
|---|
|
3/29/2018 |
House Passed/Adopted By Substitute |
Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications |
Regulated Industries and Utilities |
- |
|
|
| Originally, this was the wireless industry's attempt to preempt local management of the public's right of way. The bill was changed in House Rules Committee to allow EMCs and rural telephone cooperatives to provide broadband service to rural areas under certain conditions. |
| SR 1019 |
Support | County Right of Way for Telecommunications Deployment - Create Study Committee |
Frank Ginn |
|---|
|
3/27/2018 |
Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute |
- | Regulated Industries and Utilities |
- |
|
|
| This resolution, similar to HR 1698, creates the Senate Study Committee on Advanced Communications Technologies and the Use of State and Local Government Right of Way. The study committee (made up of five Senate members, one mayor, one county commissioner and three experts on communications deployment or taxation issues) will study state and local laws/regulations pertaining to the use public right of way to deploy advanced broadband, video and voice technologies; whether these advanced technologies are, or should be, treated differently than current technologies in terms of regulation, taxation and other matters; and whether state laws should be changed in this area to achieve modernization, fairness and technology neutrality regarding access to the rights of way. |
