Stay connected:
S 1504 -- Broadband Investment and Consumer Choice Act
Summary:
A bill aimed to create a "market driven telecommunications marketplace," to eliminate government managed competition of existing communications services and to provide "regulatory parity" for "functionally equivalent services."
Read summary from Benton Foundation
See full text of bill.
-
Referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 7/27/05
On October 18, 2005 Sen. John Ensign said he is optimistic that the telecommunications reform bill he introduced in July will move next year as part of legislation to be assembled by Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska.
Resources:
Telecommunications Act: Competition, Innovation, and Reform (A report from the Congressional Research Service)
The Fallout From the Telecommunications Act of 1996: Unintended Consequences and Lessons Learned (Common Cause Study)
The Key Member’s of Congress Making the Decisions
The Hill staff in the driver’s seat
Supporters:
Sen John Ensign (R-NV)
Sen John McCain (R-AZ)
Sen Trent Lott (R-MS) - 9/6/2005
Sen Jim DeMint (R-SC) - 9/6/2005
Sen Sam Brownback (R-KS) - 10/3/2005
Sen Lindsey Graham (R-SC) - 10/4/2005
Sen Larry E. Craig (R-ID) - 10/6/2005
Information Technology Industry Council
National Cable & Telecommunications Association: "We commend Sen. Ensign for crafting legislation that seeks to promote competition and innovation and treats like services alike. Consumers benefit when market forces are allowed to work and all providers, regardless of technology, can compete in the marketplace without government policies that pick winners and losers. While there are specific provisions we would want to work on with Senator Ensign, this is an important and constructive step forward."
Progress & Freedom Foundation (an industry sponsored think tank): Senator Ensign's proposed "Broadband Investment and Consumer Choice Act" is the most deregulatory, market-oriented bill ever introduced in Congress, and commendably so. The bill is based on the underlying premise that now, as we move full-steam ahead into the digital age, the traditional economic regulation of most communications services that was appropriate in a monopolistic environment is no longer necessary. A foundational premise of the stand-alone bill is that when marketplace competition exists, it can protect consumers better than public-utility style regulation.
Detractors:
Harold Feld, Media Access Project
Consumers Union: "Consumers better hold on to their wallets if this bill becomes law," arguing that the bill could end up costing consumers more for phone, cable and Internet services.
CompTel: The bill is "a gigantic step backward. It would remonopolize communications networks resulting in fewer choices, less innovation and higher prices for consumers." (Comptel/ALTS represents smaller companies trying to compete with the bigger telecom companies -- SBC, Verizon, BellSouth, Qwest)
Legislation Date:
August 31, 2005 
Get alerts on big updates through twitter.
Subscribe to the Headlines Newsletter through your Benton.org account