1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Communities Overregulating Networks Need Economic Competition Today Act or the CONNECT Act . 2. Prohibition on government owned broadband networks (a) In general Except as provided in subsections (b)(1) and (c), a State or political subdivision thereof may not provide or offer for sale to the public, a telecommunications provider, or to a commercial provider of broadband internet access service, retail or wholesale broadband internet access service. (b) Transitional rule Any State or political subdivision thereof providing or offering for sale, either to the public, a telecommunications provider, or to a provider of broadband internet access service, retail or wholesale broadband internet access service, before the date of the enactment of this section— (1) notwithstanding subsection (a), may continue to provide or offer for sale such service if the Commission finds there is no more than one other commercial provider of broadband internet access that provides competition for that service in a particular area; (2) shall notify each subscriber of the State or political subdivision if a commercial provider of retail broadband internet access enters the market