Section 484.2101 - Short title; purpose.
MICHIGAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT (EXCERPT)
Act 179 of 1991
484.2101 Short title; purpose.
Sec. 101.
(1) This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Michigan telecommunications act".
(2) The purpose of this act is to do all of the following:
(a) Ensure that every person has access to just, reasonable, and affordable basic residential telecommunication service.
(b) Allow and encourage competition to determine the availability, prices, terms, and other conditions of providing telecommunication services.
(c) Restructure regulation to focus on price and quality of service and not on the provider. Supplement existing state and federal law regarding antitrust, consumer protection, and fair trade to provide additional safeguards for competition and consumers.
(d) Encourage the introduction of new services, the entry of new providers, the development of new technologies, and increase investment in the telecommunication infrastructure in this state through incentives to providers to offer the most efficient services and products.
(e) Improve the opportunities for economic development and the delivery of essential services including education and health care.
(f) Streamline the process for setting and adjusting the rates for regulated services that will ensure effective rate review and reduce the costs and length of hearings associated with rate cases.
(g) Encourage the use of existing educational telecommunication networks and networks established by other commercial providers as building blocks for a cooperative and efficient statewide educational telecommunication system.
(h) Ensure effective and timely review and disposition of disputes between telecommunication providers.
(i) Authorize actions to encourage the development of a competitive telecommunication industry.
History: 1991, Act 179, Eff. Jan. 1, 1992 ;-- Am. 1995, Act 216, Imd. Eff. Nov. 30, 1995 ;-- Am. 2000, Act 295, Imd. Eff. July 17, 2000 ;-- Am. 2005, Act 235, Imd. Eff. Nov. 22, 2005