{"data":{"id":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-66-356","jurisdiction":"us-nc","citation":"N.C. Gen. Stat. § 66-356","heading":"Service standards and requirements.","body":"(a)\tDiscrimination Prohibited. - A person who provides cable service over a cable system may not deny access to the service to any group of potential residential subscribers within the filed service area because of the race or income of the residents. A violation of this subsection is an unfair or deceptive act or practice under G.S. 75-1.1.\nIn determining whether a cable service provider has violated this subsection with respect to a group of potential residential subscribers in a service area, the following factors must be considered:\n(1)\tThe length of time since the provider filed the notice of service for the area. If less than a year has elapsed since the notice of service was filed, it is conclusively presumed that a violation has not occurred.\n(2)\tThe cost of providing service to the affected group due to distance from facilities, density, or other factors.\n(3)\tTechnological impediments to providing service to the affected group.\n(4)\tInability to obtain access to property required to provide service to the affected group.\n(5)\tCompetitive pressure to respond to service offered by another cable service provider or other provider of video programming.\n(b)\tFCC Standards. - A person who provides cable service over a cable system must comply with the customer service requirements in 47 C.F.R. Part 76 and emergency alert requirements established by the Federal Communications Commission.\n(c)\tComplaints. - The Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General's Office is designated as the State agency to receive and respond to customer complaints concerning cable services. Persistent or repeated violations of the federal customer service requirements or the terms and conditions of the cable service provider's agreement with customers are unfair or deceptive acts or practices under G.S. 75-1.1.\nTo facilitate the resolution of customer complaints, the cable service provider must include the following statement on the customer's bill: \"If you have a complaint about your cable service, you should first contact customer service at the following telephone number: (insert the cable service provider's customer service telephone number). If the cable service provider does not satisfactorily resolve your complaint, contact the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General's Office of the State of North Carolina (insert information on how to contact the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General's Office).\n(d)\tNo Build-Out. - No build-out requirements apply to a person who provides cable service under a State-issued franchise.\n(e)\t[Report to Revenue Laws Study Committee. - ] The Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General's Office must report to the Revenue Laws Study Committee on or before April 1 of each year, beginning April 1, 2008, on the following information concerning cable service complaints the Division has received from cable customers under this section:\n(1)\tThe number of customer complaints.\n(2)\tThe types of customer complaints.\n(3)\tThe different means of resolving customer complaints. (2006-151, ss. 1, 18.)","path":["Chapter 66. Commerce and Business.","Article 42. State Franchise for Cable Television Service."],"source_url":"https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_66/GS_66-356.html","current_through":"S.L. 2026-30","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T18:07:52Z","sha256":"354a812ca33abd8f1ffd8803dbbd061fddd14a390a96e85f3c5cd5005148ec73","source_id":"us-nc","stale":false,"prev":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-66-355","next":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-66-357"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}