OH SB162

Removes telegraph companies from Ohio's utility regulation framework and streamlines definitions throughout the Revised Code to eliminate telegraph company references

Establishes new regulatory framework for telephone companies (Chapter 4927) that provides significantly reduced state oversight while maintaining basic standards for service quality, customer protection, and lifeline assistance for low-income customers

Creates certification requirements for telephone companies and registration requirements for wireless service providers, with limited commission authority over rates and service except for basic local exchange service and pole attachment/conduit occupancy

Exempts new technologies including voice over internet protocol and advanced services from state regulation, while maintaining commission authority only where necessary to comply with federal telecommunications law

Establishes Select Committee on Telecommunications Regulatory Reform to study the act's impacts on jobs, rates, service quality, rural broadband deployment, and lifeline customers, with report due within four years