Telecom Deregulation Bill Passes

A bill that would begin to deregulate telephone service in the state has now passed the legislature, and goes on to the Governor, who seems inclined to sign it. Votes on the final version of the bill were 69-27 in the House and 24-4 in the Senate.

According to the AP:

Under the legislation, residential customers who buy a basic phone would still have their service regulated by the PSC, but customers who buy services bundled into a package, such as long distance, call waiting or caller ID, would be unregulated.

Businesses paying for more than four lines would also have unregulated service.

Industry experts estimate that more than half of the 2.4 million traditional phones in Alabama will be unregulated when the bill is completely phased in by Jan. 1, 2008.

...Alabama is part of a national movement toward deregulation, with six states approving similar legislation this year and 12 others considering it.