AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT AND INVESTMENT ACT (Requires continuous updating of information from internet service providers about broadband, technology, and services.)

S2014

2026 -- S 2014
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LC003257
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT
AND INVESTMENT ACT

Introduced By:
Senators Ujifusa, Britto, Kallman, Acosta, McKenney, Gu, Sosnowski,
Valverde, DiMario, and Mack

Date Introduced:
January 09, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Commerce
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Sections 39-28-1 and 39-28-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 39-28 entitled
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"Broadband Deployment and Investment Act" are hereby amended to read as follows:
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39-28-1. Findings.
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The Rhode Island general assembly finds that growth and enhancement of services using
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internet protocol technology provide Rhode Island consumers more choice in voice, data, and video
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services than at any other time. The proliferation of new technologies and applications and the
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growing number of providers developing and offering innovative services using internet protocol
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are due in large part to little barrier to investment, including freedom from state laws and
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regulations governing traditional telephone service, that these technologies have enjoyed in Rhode
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Island, as well as recognition that federal law is more uniform in its oversight of internet protocol-
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enabled services. The economic benefits, including consumer choice, new jobs, and significant
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capital investment, will be jeopardized and competition minimized by the imposition of traditional
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state entry, rate, and service-term regulation on voice over internet protocol service and internet
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protocol-enabled service

The general assembly finds that the broadband infrastructure which
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delivers Internet connectivity has become essential for the social, physical, and economic well-
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being of all Rhode Islanders. This infrastructure enables critical activities and services across
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numerous sectors that society depends upon including, but not limited to: food delivery, finding
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housing, providing healthcare, education, environmental monitoring, public safety, energy

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monitoring, financial services, operating businesses, and government services. The general
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assembly must ensure broadband services in Rhode Island are reliable, secure, affordable,
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accessible, and robust for all residents and businesses alike. In order to meet this objective,
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information must continue to be collected, analyzed, made publicly available, and used to plan and
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implement policies that effectively protect and seek to improve broadband service in Rhode Island,
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including creation of a broadband regulatory authority
.
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39-28-2. Definitions.
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For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
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(1)
“Voice over internet protocol service” or “VoIP service” means any service that:
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(i) Enables real-time, two-way voice communications that originate from or terminate at
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the user’s location in internet protocol or any successor protocol;
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(ii) Uses a broadband connection from the user’s location; and
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(iii) Permits users generally to receive calls that originate on the public switched telephone
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network and to terminate calls to the public switched telephone network.
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"Broadband" means high-speed Internet access that provides a continuous, reliable
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connection currently defined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Broadband can
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be delivered through technologies such as optical fiber, coaxial cable, fixed wireless, satellite, or
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cellular networks.
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(2)
“Internet protocol-enabled service” or “IP-enabled service” means any service,
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capability, functionality, or application provided, except that as provided in subsection (1), using
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internet protocol, or any successor protocol, that enables an end-user to send or receive a
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communication in internet protocol format or any successor format.
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"Internet" means a global network of interconnected computer systems and servers that
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communicate using Internet protocol (IP) or its successors, enabling the transmission of data, voice,
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video, and multimedia content. It supports a wide variety of services, including web browsing,
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email, file sharing, voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), streaming, messaging, and other digital
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communications and content access.
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SECTION 2. Sections 39-28-3, 39-28-4, 39-28-5 and 39-28-6 of the General Laws in
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Chapter 39-28 entitled "Broadband Deployment and Investment Act" are hereby repealed.
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39-28-3. Regulation.
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Notwithstanding any general or public law to the contrary, and with the exception of the
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provisions of § 39-28-4, no department, agency, commission, or political subdivision of Rhode
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Island shall enact, adopt, or enforce, either directly or indirectly, any law, rule, regulation,
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ordinance, standard, order, or other provision having the force or effect of law that regulates, or has

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the effect of regulating, the entry, rates, terms, or conditions of VoIP service or IP-enabled service.
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39-28-4. Unaffected fees.
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Nothing in this act shall be construed to affect, mandate, or prohibit the assessment of
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nondiscriminatory enhanced 911 fees, telecommunications relay service fees, or the
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telecommunications education access fund surcharge under § 39-1-61.
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39-28-5. Rights or obligations of carriers.
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Nothing in this act shall be construed to modify or affect the rights or obligations of any
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carrier pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 251 or 47 U.S.C. § 252.
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39-28-6. Effect on tax obligations or authority.
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Nothing in this act shall be construed to modify or affect any tax obligations imposed by §
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44-13-4 or the authority of the department of revenue to enforce any such obligations.
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SECTION 3. Chapter 42-64 of the General Laws entitled "Rhode Island Commerce
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Corporation" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
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42-64-43. Corporation requirements.

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The commerce corporation (“corporation”) shall implement the following requirements.
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(1) Data collection and mapping.
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(i) Each Internet service provider (ISP) providing service in Rhode Island shall submit
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information to the commerce corporation, in a form and manner prescribed by the corporation, to
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support the maintenance of a statewide broadband map, which shall include for each broadband
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serviceable location (BSL), by geographic area served by a provider in Rhode Island:
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(A) Maximum advertised download and upload speeds;
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(B) Type of transmission technology used to provide the service such as fiber, cable, DSL,
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satellite; and
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(C) The number of broadband connections and consumer subscriptions for each
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combination of advertised download and upload speeds and transmission technology.
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(ii) In consultation with other state agencies as deemed appropriate, the corporation shall
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develop and maintain an up-to-date broadband map that shows the availability and adoption of
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broadband services across the state. This map shall include data on download and upload speeds
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available to each BSL and shall be regularly updated to reflect changes in broadband service
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availability, technology, and consumer adoption. The corporation shall use credible and relevant
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data provided by broadband providers, state agencies, political subdivisions of the state, speed tests,
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and other third parties, including consumers, in the development and maintenance of the map.
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(iii) The corporation shall use the broadband map to identify underserved and unserved
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areas of the state and to facilitate planning and implementation of broadband programs and

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initiatives.
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(iv) The corporation shall use the data collected to provide guidance to broadband providers
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seeking to expand services in underserved and unserved areas and shall collaborate with state and
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local authorities to remove barriers to broadband infrastructure development.
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(v) All state agencies and political subdivisions of the state shall provide any information
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requested by the corporation to assist in the development and maintenance of the broadband map
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and other work authorized by this section.
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(2) With regard to confidentiality and protection of trade secrets, any information submitted
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by private parties may be submitted in aggregated form necessary to protect confidentiality, and
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shall be protected as required by the provisions of chapter 48.1 of title 6 (the Rhode Island data
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transparency and privacy protection act). Information claimed to be a “trade secret” by private
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parties shall meet requirements set forth in chapter 41 of title 6 (the uniform trade secrets act).
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(3) With regard to transparency, on or before December 1, 2026, and annually thereafter,
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the corporation shall update and publish the broadband map on its official website. The map shall
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be accessible to the public and include detailed information on broadband availability, speeds,
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transmission technology, and adoption rates across Rhode Island.
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(i) Internet service providers (“ISPs”) shall report to the Rhode Island commerce
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corporation within forty-eight (48) hours of the occurrence and keep a five (5) year record of service
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outages affecting one hundred (100) or more customers or lasting four (4) or more hours. These
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reports and records shall include: cause (if known), affected areas, number of customers, restoration
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time, mitigation, and consumer compensation.
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(ii) The corporation shall publish a summary of outage data annually on its website.
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(4) With regard to a regulatory plan, within one year from the effective date of this section,
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the corporation shall develop and submit a detailed plan to the governor and the general assembly
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regarding the creation of a broadband regulatory authority. The plan shall include, but not be limited
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to, the following components:
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(i) The mission, authority, and responsibilities of the regulatory agency, which shall include
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oversight of broadband planning, deployment, service quality, consumer protections, and equitable
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access;
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(ii) Recommendations for the organizational structure and staffing of the agency;
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(iii) A framework for collaboration between the corporation and other state, local, and
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federal entities involved in broadband expansion and regulation;
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(iv) Proposed funding mechanisms to support the agency’s operations and activities; and
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(v) A timeline for the establishment of the agency, including any legislative actions

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necessary for its formation.
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(5) With regard to funding, to fund the data collection and other activities required under
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this section, the corporation shall collect fees from ISPs operating in Rhode Island. The amount of
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the fee shall be determined by the corporation based on the total cost of administering this program.
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Each ISP shall pay a fee proportional to the revenue it generates from providing broadband services
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to customers in Rhode Island. Fees shall be due within sixty (60) days of notification by the
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corporation.
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(6) With regard to enforcement, failure to submit accurate or timely data or fees as required
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by this section shall be subject to penalties, including fines, determined by the corporation,
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suspension of participation in state grant programs, and restrictions on future projects supported by
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state funding.
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(7) The corporation shall promulgate rules and regulations as it deems necessary for the
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implementation of this section.
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(8) If any subsection or provision of this section shall be determined to be invalid or
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unconstitutional, the remaining provisions and subsections shall be deemed severable and shall
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remain in full force and effect.
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SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS -- BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT
AND INVESTMENT ACT
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This act would require the constant updating of information to accommodate changes in
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broadband technology. The act would also direct the Rhode Island commerce corporation to
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implement new data collection and mapping of broadband availability, provide protections for
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certain submitted data, and direct the corporation to collect fees from Internet service providers
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operating in Rhode Island to fund the data collection required by the act. The act would further
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require the corporation to submit a detailed plan to the governor and general assembly regarding
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the creation of a broadband regulatory authority.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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