106 STAT. 4194 PUBLIC LAW 102-556—OCT. 28, 1992

(4) The term "providing carrier" means a local exchange
or interexchange common carrier providing telephone services
(other than local exchange services) to a vendor for a telephone-
billed purchase that is the subject of a billing error complaint.

(5) The term "vendor" means any person who, through
the use of the telephone, offers goods or services for a telephone-
billed purchase.

(6) The term "customer" means any person who acquires
or attempts to acquire goods or services in a telephone-billed
purchase.

TITLE IV—MISCELLANEOUS
PROVISIONS

SEC. 401. PROPOSAL FOB DEMONSTRATING THE POTENTIAL OF
INNOVATIVE COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT AND SERV-
ICES.

(a) DEMONSTRATION PROPOSAL.—Within 180 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary of Energy for
Conservation and Renewable Energy, in consultation with the
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Informa-
tion, shall submit to Congress a proposal for demonstrating the
ability of new and innovative communications equipment and serv-
ices to further the national goals of conserving energy and protecting
public health and safety.

(b) FACTORS To BE ADDRESSED.—The demonstration proposal
required by subsection (a) shall address—

(1) the feasibility of using communications technologies
to read meters from remote locations;

(2) the feasibility of managing the consumption of electrical
power and natural gas by residences and businesses, thereby
reducing the demand for new and additional sources of energy,
and controlling the cost of providing unproved utility services;
and

(3) the public safety implications of monitoring utility serv-
ices outages during earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, torna-
does, volcanoes, and other natural disasters.

(c) PROJECT To DEMONSTRATE ENERGY CONSERVATION POTEN-
TIAL.—Upon submission of the demonstration proposal to the Con-
gress, the Secretary of Energy shall consider requesting from the
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Informa-
tion the authority to use radio frequencies, pursuant to section
305 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 305), to carry
out demonstration projects consistent with the proposal that are
designed to demonstrate the energy conservation potential of
communications technologies and which are administered by the
Secretary of Energy.

SEC. 408. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

Section 227(bX2) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C.
227(bX2)) is amended—

(1) by striking "and" at the end of subparagraph (A);

(2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (B)
and inserting "; and"; and

(3) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following new
subparagraph: