No person or telecommunications company may unjustly or unreasonably discriminate between persons in providing telecommunications services or in the rate or price charged for those services. No telecommunications company may offer a rate or charge, demand, collect or receive from any person a greater or lesser compensation for any telecommunications service offered than it charges, demands, collects or receives from any other person for providing a like telecommunications service. No telecommunications company may make or give any unjust or unreasonable preference or advantage to any person, nor unjustly or unreasonably prejudice or disadvantage any person, in the provision of any telecommunications service. Notwithstanding any prohibitions in this section, upon application to the commission, any telecommunications company may after investigation by the commission, be authorized by the commission to charge special rates or to give certain preferences which are determined by the commission to be fair and reasonable.
Nothing in this section applies to volume discounts or to the provision of telecommunications services at reduced rates for the United States, this state, local governments or governmental subdivisions.
Whoever violates any of the provisions of this section is guilty of unjust discrimination and shall be punished by a civil fine not less than one thousand nor more than five thousand dollars for each violation. Nothing in this section may alter or eliminate any remedy otherwise available to an injured party, including an injured party's right to initiate a suit against the company guilty of discrimination pursuant to § 49-13-14.1.