For purposes of this division, the following words have the following meanings:
(a) “Broadband” means any service defined as broadband in the most recent Federal Communications Commission inquiry pursuant to Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-104).
(b) “Cable operator” means any person or group of persons that either provides cable service over a cable system and directly, or through one or more affiliates, owns a significant interest in a cable system; or that otherwise controls or is responsible for, through any arrangement, the management and operation of a cable system, as set forth in Section 522(5) of Title 47 of the United States Code.
(c) “Cable service” is defined as the one-way transmission to subscribers of either video programming, or other programming service, and subscriber interaction, if any, that is required for the selection or use of video programming or other programming service, as set forth in Section 522(6) of Title 47 of the United States Code.
(d) “Cable system” is defined as set forth in Section 522(7) of Title 47 of the United States Code.
(e) “Commission” means the Public Utilities Commission.
(f) “Franchise” means an initial authorization, or renewal of an authorization, issued by a franchising entity, regardless of whether the authorization is designated as a franchise, permit, license, resolution, contract, certificate, agreement, or otherwise, that authorizes the construction and operation of any network in the right-of-way capable of providing video service to subscribers.
(g) “Franchise fee” means the fee adopted pursuant to Section 5840.
(h) “Holder” or “holder of a state franchise” means a person or group of persons that has been issued a state franchise from the commission pursuant to this division.
(i) “Incumbent cable operator” means a cable operator or OVS serving subscribers under a franchise in a particular city, county, or city and county franchise area on January 1, 2007.
(j) “Local entity” means any city, county, city and county, or joint powers authority within the state within whose jurisdiction a holder of a state franchise under this division may provide cable service or video service.
(k) “Local franchising entity” means the city, county, city and county, or joint powers authority entitled to require franchises and impose fees on cable operators, as set forth in Section 53066 of the Government Code.
(l) “Network” means a component of a facility that is wholly or partly physically located within a public right-of-way and that is used to provide video service, cable service, voice, or data services.
(m) “Open-video system” or “OVS” means those services set forth in Section 573 of Title 47 of the United States Code.
(n) “OVS operator” means any person or group of persons that either provides cable service over an open-video system directly, or through one or more affiliates, owns a significant interest in an open-video system, or that otherwise controls or is responsible for, through any arrangement, the management of an open-video system.
(o) “Public rights-of-way” means the area along and upon any public road or highway, or along or across any of the waters or lands within the state.
(p) “State franchise” means a franchise that is issued pursuant to this division.
(q) “Subscriber” means a person who lawfully receives video service from the holder of a state franchise for a fee.
(r) “Video programming” means programming provided by, or generally considered comparable to programming provided by, a television broadcast station, as set forth in Section 522(20) of Title 47 of the United States Code.
(s) “Video service” means video programming services, cable service, or OVS service provided through facilities located at least in part in public rights-of-way without regard to delivery technology, including Internet protocol or other technology. This definition does not include (1) any video programming provided by a commercial mobile service provider defined in Section 332(d) of Title 47 of the United States Code, or (2) video programming provided as part of, and via, a service that enables users to access content, information, electronic mail, or other services offered over the public Internet.
(t) “Video service provider” means an entity providing video service.
(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 123, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.)