(a) A telecommunications service provider offering services under a certificate granted under § 203A of this title may elect or any telecommunication service provider that has previously elected may reelect, upon or after July 15, 2013, to determine its rates and prices for its telecommunications services pursuant to this subchapter. Upon the filing of written notice to the Commission of such an election or reelection, subchapters II and III of this chapter shall no longer apply except as specifically provided hereinafter and, in lieu thereof, this subchapter shall govern.

(b) An election by a service provider to be governed by this subchapter shall be effective for a term of not less than 3 years and shall automatically be extended for additional 3-year terms except as described below. Not less than 1 year prior to the expiration of any term, the service provider shall notify the Commission if it no longer wishes to be governed by this subchapter. Upon receipt of such notification, the Commission shall commence an open and public proceeding to determine what appropriate form of regulation should be applied to such provider under § 703 of this title. The Commission shall conclude any such proceeding by final order within 12 months from the filing of such notification and, in making its determination, the Commission shall give appropriate consideration to the form of regulation, if any, then applicable to competitors of such service provider.

(c) (1) Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to affect the rights, duties or obligations of telecommunications carriers, including those carriers who are parties to interconnection agreements approved by the Commission on or before January 1, 2008, set forth in §§ 251-252 of the federal Telecommunications Act, 47 U.S.C. § 251-252, including but not limited to, the duty to negotiate interconnection agreements, to provide interconnection, to provide access to unbundled network elements, and to provide resale, nor shall anything in this subchapter affect the exercise of authority assigned to the Commission by §§ 251-252 of the federal Telecommunications Act, 47 U.S.C. 251-252, including but not limited to the authority to arbitrate and approve interconnection agreements.

(2) Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to affect the applicability or enforcement of the provisions of Chapter 100 of Title 16 (“911—Enhanced Emergency Number Service”) or the applicability or enforcement of the provisions of Chapter 101 of Title 16 (“Enhanced 911 Emergency Reporting System Fund”).

69 Del. Laws, c. 99, §  2;  76 Del. Laws, c. 272, §§  1-7;  79 Del. Laws, c. 53, §  1;  82 Del. Laws, c. 11, § 5; 

(a) “Basic services” means switched access services.

(b) “Competitive services” means either of the following:

(1) All services which are not classified as “basic” in subsection (a) of this section.

(2) Any new service other than switched access service.

69 Del. Laws, c. 99, §  2;  70 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1;  76 Del. Laws, c. 272, §§  8, 9;  79 Del. Laws, c. 53, §  1;  82 Del. Laws, c. 11, § 6; 

(a) A service provider is not required to provide notice to the Commission for any new service.

(b) Competitive services, including new services, and basic services, other than switched access, are not subject to mandatory tariff or other filing requirements except as specifically provided in this subchapter.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of § 203A(d) of this title, a service provider may abandon a competitive service at any time.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, Commission approval may not be required for any reorganization or merger, mortgage or transfer of property, issuance of securities, assumption of obligation of another, or transfer of control of a service provider governed under this subchapter.

(e) [Repealed.]

(f) A service provider offering competitive services under this subchapter shall be subject to the provisions of §§ 202 and 216-222 of this title.

(g) Notwithstanding any order or regulation of the Commission or law to the contrary, the Commission may not investigate or adjudicate retail customer complaints for services governed by this subchapter except complaints related to the adequate provisioning of basic services.

(h) A service provider offering services under this subchapter shall comply with the certificate of public convenience and necessity requirements as set forth in § 203A(a) and (b) of this title.

69 Del. Laws, c. 99, §  2;  76 Del. Laws, c. 272, §  10;  79 Del. Laws, c. 53, §  1;  80 Del. Laws, c. 214, § 2;  82 Del. Laws, c. 11, § 7; 

(a) An offering of basic services in this State, that is not a determination of rate change, is subject to the provisions of subchapters I and V of this chapter, §§ 201, 202, 203A(c), 204, 206, 212, 217, 218, and 222 of this title, and all Commission procedures, rules, and regulations except to the extent inconsistent with this subchapter.

(b) Beginning January 1, 2020, after January 1 of the year immediately following the initial election or reelection made pursuant to § 704 of this title, Commission approval may not be required to change tariff rates and rates for basic services must be established according to prevailing federal jurisdiction.

(c) No service provider may assess switched access rates pursuant to tariff that are higher than the switched access rates set forth in the tariffs of the incumbent local exchange carrier in the same service territory.

69 Del. Laws, c. 99, §  2;  76 Del. Laws, c. 272, §§  11-17;  79 Del. Laws, c. 53, §  1;  82 Del. Laws, c. 11, § 8; 

(a) Any provider of a competitive service may determine its price and other terms and conditions under which such competitive service will be offered, and subchapter II of this chapter shall not apply to the provision of such services except as provided in § 706(f) of this title herein.

(b) The Commission may, upon the filing of a written complaint, investigate claims related to predatory pricing of competitive services consistent with principals of federal and state antitrust law. If the Commission opens a proceeding to investigate such claims, the burden of proof shall be on the complainant. If the Commission finds that predatory pricing has occurred, the Commission may enjoin the conduct, but may not otherwise determine the price or other terms and conditions under which a competitive service will be offered.

69 Del. Laws, c. 99, §  2;  76 Del. Laws, c. 272, §§  18-21;  79 Del. Laws, c. 53, §  1; 

(a) The State shall create a fund designated as the “Delaware Broadband Fund” (the “Fund”) to be used to support and enhance broadband services in the State’s public schools and public libraries and for rural broadband initiatives in unserved areas of the State.

(b) The Fund shall be administered by the Secretary of the Department of Technology and Information. The Secretary shall develop a plan to carry out the purposes of subsection (a) of this section and, after concurrence of the Controller General and Director of the Office of Management and Budget, may distribute moneys from the Fund to implement such plan.

(c) All moneys in the Fund shall be distributed by July 1, 2018, and the Fund shall terminate at that time.

79 Del. Laws, c. 53, §  1; 

In lieu of the regulatory assessment imposed under § 115 of this title, a service provider shall pay an assessment into the Delaware Broadband Fund. On August 1, 2013, the service provider shall pay into the fund 1/2 of the amount of its 2011 regulatory assessment in lieu of the amounts due under § 115 of this title for the period January 1, 2013, through June 2013 and shall continue making payments into the Fund in lieu of any amounts due under § 115 of this title for an additional 3 years beginning on January 30, 2014, and ending on January 30, 2016, in an amount equal to the regulatory assessment for the year 2011, after which time the obligation under § 115 of this title or to make payments under this section shall cease.

79 Del. Laws, c. 53, §  1; 

Repealed by 76 Del. Laws, c. 272, § 23, eff. June 30, 2008.