1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to telecommunications; requiring competitors 
  1.3             of small telephone companies to offer 
  1.4             telecommunications service to contiguous exchange 
  1.5             areas in certain situations; amending Minnesota 
  1.6             Statutes 1996, section 237.773, by adding a 
  1.7             subdivision. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 237.773, is 
  1.10  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 6.  [SERVICE AREA OBLIGATIONS.] In any proceeding to 
  1.12  obtain a certificate to provide telecommunications service in 
  1.13  any exchange area served by a telephone company with fewer than 
  1.14  50,000 subscribers in Minnesota, the commission shall require 
  1.15  the applicant to offer service throughout that exchange area and 
  1.16  all contiguous exchange areas of the telephone company within 12 
  1.17  months of the date that the applicant provides service to any 
  1.18  customer in that area, unless resold services or facilities are 
  1.19  not available from the telephone company and cannot be made 
  1.20  available at reasonable costs.