Senate File 51 advances with revisions to Wyoming Telecommunications Act; prepaid wireless to join universal service fund

The Senate Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Committee on an aye voice and roll-call vote advanced Senate File 51, a package of revisions to the Wyoming Telecommunications Act that extends the law's sunset, clarifies what services are eligible for the state universal service fund and requires prepaid wireless contributions to that fund.

Senate File 51, the committee was told, would extend the act's sunset from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2031, clarify what constitutes "local exchange service" and "noncompetitive essential telecommunications service," and add a limited definition of "broadband Internet access service" to the statute so that political subdivisions must first give incumbent providers an opportunity to provide service before the subdivision may step in.

"This extends the sunset date of the act by 6 years to July 1, 2031," Jason Hendricks, a representative of Range where Communications and the Wyoming Telecommunications Association, told the committee. He said stakeholders including the Public Service Commission, the Office of Consumer Advocate, competitive and wireless providers, AARP and the Farm Bureau participated in crafting the bill.

Why it matters: the bill preserves regulatory oversight that governs retail phone rates, complaint handling and the Wyoming Universal Service Fund (USF) that helps keep landline rates affordable in high-cost rural areas. Committee testimony emphasized that if the statute were allowed to sunset, "the entire regulatory structure of telecommunications in the state would go away," with "a lot of negative repercussions," Hendricks said.

Key provisions and debate

- Sunset extension and modernization: The bill moves numerous definitions and repealer clauses,…