WASHINGTON-The Federal Trade Commission wants to regulate telecommunications companies, but current law enacted in 1938 won’t allow it, so the commissioners went to Congress on Wednesday and requested additional authority to regulate telecom common carriers.
Currently, the Federal Communications Commission is the only federal agency with jurisdiction over telecommunications carriers.
Members of the House Commerce Committee were split on the issue with the Republican Chairman Billy Tauzin of Louisiana saying that “dual regulation is not the answer” but Democratic Ranking Member John Dingell of Michigan said the FCC is too cozy with the telecommunications industry.
FTC members took their proposals to both the House consumers’ affairs subcommittee and the Senate Commerce Committee in back-to-back hearings.
