TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1996 -- HON. DIANA DeGETTE (Extensions of Remarks - February 10, 2000)

[Page: E114]
---

HON. DIANA DeGETTE OF COLORADO IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Thursday, February 10, 2000

Ms. DEGETTE. Mr. Speaker, four years ago this week, the Congress approved the Telecommunications Act of 1996. While I was not a Member of Congress at that time, I was working on these issues while I was in the Colorado state legislature. on the anniversary of the Act, I would like to both herald the progress that has been made and comment on what challenges remain.

One of the main goals of the 1996 Act was to allow more competitors into local phone markets in order to spur competition and provide better opportunities for consumers. The introduction of competition into the local markets has been much slower than anticipated and, at this time, over 90% of Americans have very little choice of local telephone providers.

The ultimate goal of course is greater competition in all markets, which will result in more choices and better prices for consumers. Many new companies, many of which are located in my home state of Colorado, have sprung up in the past few years and have gained a significant foothold in the exploding business of e-commerce. Nearly a billion dollars are being invested by new entrant telecommunications companies in facilities and services every month.

Today, more than ninety-nine percent of Americans can reach an Internet Service Provider (ISP) with a local phone call. Forty-six states have 100 or more ISPs and more than half of the states have over 200 ISPs to choose from. These ISPs connect into backbone providers which have also grown from fourteen at that time the Act was passed, to forty-three today.

This growth has been remarkable and has benefited consumers enormously. It is important that the pro-competitive provisions of the 1996 Act are kept in place so that we can keep moving towards a fully integrated and competitive market.

I am strongly in favor of increased competition in all areas of telecommunications, which will mean better service and lower prices for customers. The sooner there is more competition in both local and long-distance telephone markets and the Internet industry, the better it will be for all consumers. I look forward to the day when my constituents have a multitude of choices in all areas of in telecommunications, whether it be voice or high-speed data services.
END