FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                                                       Contact: Steven Tomaszewski
                                                                                  618/344-3065
                                                                                 February 27, 2002

SHIMKUS SUPPORTS BROADBAND ACCESS TO RURAL AREAS

Washington, DC...Congressman John Shimkus (R, Illinois-20) voted in support of
the Internet Freedom and Broadband Deployment Act (HR 1542 or the so-called
Tauzin-Dingell legislation). The bill passed the House and now goes to the Senate
for consideration.

"Broadband is really just high-speed Internet access," Shimkus explained. "This
legislation just takes Internet service out of the same category as telephone service.
It will allow local telephone companies to offer broadband Internet service, thus
giving consumers additional choices for Internet access.

"I believe this is the only way high-speed Internet access will be brought to many
rural areas of Illinois and this nation," he added.

"The legislation drops the outdated regulations that were holding back telephone
companies from offering high-speed Internet service. These companies will now be able
to compete with cable and satellite high-speed Internet providers giving consumers
more choices and, hopefully, lower prices.

"This has been a highly debated bill in Washington, although you may have not heard
much about it at home in Illinois," Shimkus said. "But I firmly believe that it will
bring high-speed Internet services to areas not having access to it right now, particularly
rural areas. It should also help to bring economic opportunities by allowing new
high tech companies to locate wherever there is telephone service, not just cable service.

"The economic benefits will also reach into higher demand for telecommunications
equipment, computers, and software," Shimkus noted.

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