According to the National Consumer Law Center, a \u201cpublic utility\u201d is a business that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(National Consumer Law Center, Access to Utility Service (7th ed. 2024),\u00a0updated at<\/em>\u00a0www.nclc.org\/library.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Connecticut, public utilities are regulated by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA). Regulated utilities include, electricity, gas, water, and telecommunications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “PURA\u00a0provides regulatory oversight of what is referred to as Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS), which is the traditional, analog voice transmission over copper wires. This service, however, has been largely replaced as customers have migrated towards\u00a0more sophisticated competitive services.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n PURA does not regulate billing and services for cell phones, smart phones, or mobile phones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n https:\/\/portal.ct.gov\/dcp\/common-elements\/consumer-facts-and-contacts\/utilities?language=en_US<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2009, the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report to Congressional requesters entitled “FCC Needs to Improve Oversight of Wireless Phone Service.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The committee wrote that “Concerns have arisen in recent years about the quality of wireless phone service, including specific concerns about billing; customer The websites below link to the full text of the legislation and additional contextual information [about the regulation of the telecommunications industry].\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n FCC Restoring Internet Freedom Order 2017<\/a> Repeal of net neutrality rules, issued Jan 4, 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Communications Act of 1934<\/a> Information on the Act that combined and organized federal regulation of telephone, telegraph and radio communications as well as created the FCC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act (Cable Act) of 1992<\/a> Text and summary of Act amending the Communications Act of 1934.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Telecommunications Act of 1996<\/a> Synopsis, text, and other materials related to the Act that led to deregulation of the telecommunications industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
service; and carriers’ contract terms, such as the fees carriers charge
customers for terminating their service before the end of the contract
period (early termination fees) . . . In June 2009, we reported
that such issues continued to be of concern to some consumers, as
demonstrated by the results of our survey of wireless phone service
users . . . Under federal law, the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) is responsible for fostering a competitive wireless
marketplace while ensuring that consumers are protected from harmful
practices.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n