S 2357: Requires reports from certain telephone corporations on the quality and availability of line-powered voice services.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2357 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 16, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommuni- cations AN ACT in relation to requiring reports from certain telephone corpo- rations on the quality and availability of line-powered voice services The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. 1. As used in this section, the following terms shall have 2 the following meanings: 3 a. "line-powered voice service" means residential voice service that 4 is provided using copper-based facilities that are line-powered; and 5 b. "covered provider" means a telephone corporation with more than ten 6 thousand customers that has provided line-powered voice service at any 7 point on or after January 1, 2023. 8 2. Within sixty days after the effective date of this act, each 9 covered provider shall prepare and submit to the department of public 10 service and the legislature a written report that shall make findings 11 and recommendations concerning the quality and availability of line-pow- 12 ered voice services. Without unreasonably exposing customers' personally 13 identifiable information in a manner that violates the public service 14 law, department of public service practices or federal law, reports from 15 such covered provider shall include, but not be limited to the follow- 16 ing: 17 a. the number of customers who receive line-powered voice services; 18 b. the number of customers that were notified by the company that they 19 would be switched from line-powered voice service to fiber optic based 20 service, despite customers' requests to remain on line-powered voice 21 service; 22 c. the number and location of service areas where both the company 23 informed customers that the customer's line-powered voice service shall EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD06414-01-5 
 S. 2357 2 1 be discontinued and where customers also did not have the ability to 2 switch to fiber based service at the time of such notification; 3 d. the number of customers who requested or attempted to return to 4 line-powered voice service after being moved to fiber optic based 5 service by the covered provider; and 6 e. the number of customers receiving line-powered voice service who 7 were refused quality resolution or service repair and were instead 8 advised to switch to fiber optic based service for reliable service from 9 the covered provider. 10 3. Each covered provider shall publish on its website the report 11 required pursuant to subdivision one of this section, simultaneously 12 with the submission of such report. The reports shall include the infor- 13 mation required pursuant to this section in a spreadsheet format. The 14 department of public service shall provide meaningful opportunities for 15 public comment from all persons who will be impacted by the reports. The 16 public hearings shall also be available virtually. 17 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.