(220 ILCS 5/13-517)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2026)

Sec. 13-517. Provision of advanced telecommunications services.

(a) Every Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier (telecommunications carrier that offers or provides a noncompetitive telecommunications service) shall offer or provide advanced telecommunications services to not less than 80% of its customers by January 1, 2005.

(b) The Commission is authorized to grant a full or partial waiver of the requirements of this Section upon verified petition of any Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier ("ILEC") which demonstrates that full compliance with the requirements of this Section would be unduly economically burdensome or technically infeasible or otherwise impractical in exchanges with low population density. Notice of any such petition must be given to all potentially affected customers. If no potentially affected customer requests the opportunity for a hearing on the waiver petition, the Commission may, in its discretion, allow the waiver request to take effect without hearing. The Commission shall grant such petition to the extent that, and for such duration as, the Commission determines that such waiver:

(1) is necessary:

(A) to avoid a significant adverse economic impact on users of telecommunications services generally;

(B) to avoid imposing a requirement that is unduly economically burdensome;

(C) to avoid imposing a requirement that is technically infeasible; or

(D) to avoid imposing a requirement that is otherwise impractical to implement in exchanges with low population density; and

(2) is consistent with the public interest, convenience, and necessity.

The Commission shall act upon any petition filed under this subsection within 180 days after receiving such petition. The Commission may by rule establish standards for granting any waiver of the requirements of this Section. The Commission may, upon complaint or on its own motion, hold a hearing to reconsider its grant of a waiver in whole or in part. In the event that the Commission, following hearing, determines that the affected ILEC no longer meets the requirements of item (2) of this subsection, the Commission shall by order rescind such waiver, in whole or in part. In the event and to the degree the Commission rescinds such waiver, the Commission shall establish an implementation schedule for compliance with the requirements of this Section.

(c) As used in this Section, "advanced telecommunications services" means services 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.

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