WASHINGTON-Notwithstanding the Federal Communications Commission’s findings last week that
the rollout of advanced technologies is “reasonable and timely,” Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), chairman of
the Senate communications subcommittee, plans to introduce legislation this month to prod the FCC to do
more.
Burns was not-at-all happy with the FCC’s findings to be detailed in a report to Congress this week.
“Stating that deployment of broadband telecommunications services has been ‘reasonable and timely’ is a gross
misreading of the Telecommunications Act,” he said.
The report on the deployment of advanced technologies
was mandated by Congress in the 1996 law.
The FCC sees a key role for wireless providers in getting advanced
technologies to rural America. “Wireless providers, using all types of technologies, are getting into
broadband,” said John Berresford of the FCC’s Common Carrier Bureau.
Nevertheless, the wireless industry
believes it has too many regulatory burdens.
The Personal Communications Industry Association had asked the
FCC to consider lessening the regulatory burden to allow wireless carriers the opportunity to roll out advanced services.
“Unless public officials consider the effect of their actions on the ability of the industry to develop, deploy and
reasonably price advanced telecommunications capabilities and services, the goals of [the telecom act] will never be
realized,” PCIA President Jay Kitchen said in letter last month.
The FCC did not specifically address PCIA’s
concerns in the report but concluded that no further regulatory proceedings-or efforts to deregulate-were necessary
beyond one dealing with wireline deployment of asymmetrical digital subscriber line, or ADSL, services to the
home.
Burns’ legislation on Section 706-the portion of telecom act dealing with the deployment of advanced
technologies-is one of his “Digital Dozen” initiatives for the 106th Congress.
Burns also included the
antenna siting/E911 bill promoted by the Communications for Coordinated Assistance and Response to Emergencies
(ComCARE) Alliance. Burns expects to introduce his version of this bill in March.
Burns also wants to reform the
FCC through the re-authorization process. He expects to introduce FCC re-authorization legislation later this year.
Some bureaus could be combined, Burns speculated. “Digital is bringing this all together … they are all ones and
zeros. [We might want to] bring together wireless, telephony, and broadcast,” he said.
The FCC’s attention
could be refocused to congressional, rather than White House, priorities, Burns said. “Chairman Kennard gets
over-enthusiastic in promoting the policies of the [Clinton] administration … they tend to forget that they are an arm of
Congress.”
Burns said he also plans to re-introduce legislation from last Congress to use money from the 3
percent tax-on-talking to fund Internet connections to schools and libraries. Burns said this legislation-which could be
considered by the Senate Finance Committee later this year-could actually lead to a tax cut. “We only need about
a third of this money.”
Other items on Burns’ list include:
Online privacy
Encryption
Satellite market reform (Intelsat/Inmarsat privatization)
Digital democracy
Digital signatures
Spamming
DBS and network signals
Low-power TV
