Commemorating the 1934 Communications Act

The information and communications technology sector has gone through dramatic changes over the past century. In 1934 when Congress passed the Communications Act, it was considered a minor piece of legislation bundled with the New Deal. The dominant technology was AM radio. Today’s communications sector is a critical part of the economy that accounts for a large part of our economy in terms of GDP.

Recently, experts in the field of communications -- Stuart Brotman, Robert Litan, Larry Irving, and Robert M. McDowell -- convened at Brookings to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Communications Act of 1934. The panelists discussed the history, implementation, and potential changes to law in the 21st Century. The panelists described the following difficulties with rewriting the Communications Act: 1) Predicting the Future, 2) Immature Technologies, and 3) Resisting the Desire for Action. They also identified some necessary updates to antiquated communication policies: a) Policy silos, b) Universal service, c) Spectrum inventory, and d) Principle of equality.