South Carolina § 58-9-295 - Agreements limiting other communications providers from access to rights-of-way prohibited; penalties.

§ 58-9-295. Agreements limiting other communications providers from access to rights-of-way prohibited; penalties.

(A) No communications service provider or a parent company, subsidiary, or affiliate of a communications service provider shall enter into any contract, agreement, or arrangement, oral or written, with a person or entity that:

(1) requires a person or entity to restrict or limit the ability of any other communications service provider from obtaining easements or rights-of-way for the installation of facilities or equipment to provide communications services in this State or otherwise deny or restrict access to the real property by any other communications service provider; or

(2) offers or grants incentives or rewards to an owner of real property or the owner's agent that are contingent upon restricting or limiting the ability of any other communications service provider from obtaining easements or rights-of-way for the installation of facilities or equipment to provide communications services in this State or otherwise denying or restricting access to the real property by any other communications service provider.

(B)(1) Nothing in this section prohibits a communications service provider and a user or prospective user of communications service from entering into an agreement with respect to the user or prospective user's own communications service.

(2) Nothing in this section prohibits an owner of real property or the owner's agent from entering into agreements with one or more communications service providers for the purpose of marketing a communications service to the owner of real property or to the tenants of real property, so long as such agreements are not in violation of subsection (A).

(3) This section does not affect a franchise agreement or other agreement with a municipality concerning the use of public streets, public rights-of-way, or other public property.

(C) All contracts, agreements, or arrangements in violation of subsection (A) made on or after the effective date of this section are void and unenforceable.

(D) A communications service provider who violates the provisions of this section is subject to a monetary penalty as provided in Section 58-9-1610. Each day that a contract, agreement, or arrangement prohibited by this section remains in force or effect shall constitute a separate violation as provided in Section 58-9-1620.

HISTORY: 2005 Act No. 134, SECTION 2, eff 45 days after approval (approved June 7, 2005).

Editor's Note

2005 Act No. 134, SECTION 4, provides as follows:

"If, as result of federal law, a finding of a federal administrative agency or a decision of a federal or state court of competent jurisdiction, this act is deemed to be inapplicable to any person, entity, or class of provider that otherwise meets the definition of a communications service provider in Section 58-9-200, this act shall become void and unenforceable as to all communications service providers."