(a) No person shall provide intrastate telecommunications services, except for private telecommunications service, commercial mobile telecommunications service to the extent regulated by the federal government and any service authorized under a joint or shared user tariff approved by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, unless the person (1) offered, promoted and provided intrastate telecommunications services on or before January 1, 1984, pursuant to a special charter or certificate of public convenience and necessity, or (2) is certified to provide intrastate telecommunications services by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority pursuant to sections 16-247f to 16-247h, inclusive.

(b) Each provider of intrastate telecommunications services, as defined in subsection (a) of this section, or any officer, agent or employee thereof, which the authority finds has failed to obey or comply with any applicable order made or regulation adopted by the authority pursuant to this section shall be fined, by order of the authority, not more than ten thousand dollars for each offense. Each distinct violation of any provision of this section or any such order or regulation shall be a separate offense and, in the case of a continued violation, each day thereof shall be deemed a separate offense. The authority shall impose any such civil penalty in accordance with the procedure established in § 16-41.

(c) The authority shall not prohibit or restrict the competitive provision of intrastate telecommunications services offered by a certified telecommunications provider unless the authority finds that the competitive provision of a telecommunications service would be contrary to the goals set forth in § 16-247a, or would not be in accordance with the provisions of § 16-247a or 16-247b, this section, sections 16-247e to 16-247h, inclusive, or § 16-247k.