Telephone regulations updated

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

The telegraph made way for cell phones and digital devices in a landmark telecommunications overhaul approved by state lawmakers overnight.

The bill now before Gov. Ted Strickland rewrote sections of law not touched for 20 years, which included multiple references to the telegraph and no mention of the Internet. Consumer groups earlier sounded alarms over aspects of the bill, which was backed by the telecom industry.

The final bill creates a review committee to monitor changes in the law and report back to lawmakers on its effects on rates, service quality and consumer protection.

The overhaul also includes $1 million for a two-year “community voicemail” pilot program. Ohio is among nearly 30 states that have recently brought their telephone regulations into the 21st century.

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