Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Time for a Digital Age Communications Act | Perspectives | CNET News.com
Time for a Digital Age Communications Act | Perspectives | CNET News.com: "
When then-President Bill Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act in February 1996, he expressed hope that this 'truly revolutionary' legislation would foster a marketplace 'where competition and innovation can move as quick as light.' Ten years later, it's clear things didn't turn out that way.
In fact, the statute entrenched too much of the legacy regulation put in place when communications markets were characterized by monopolistic power. Even though the 1996 Act acknowledged the Internet's existence for purposes of attempting to legislate control of offensive content, when it came to foreseeing the Net's marketplace impact, and that of other new technologies, Congress didn't look far enough ahead."
When then-President Bill Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act in February 1996, he expressed hope that this 'truly revolutionary' legislation would foster a marketplace 'where competition and innovation can move as quick as light.' Ten years later, it's clear things didn't turn out that way.
In fact, the statute entrenched too much of the legacy regulation put in place when communications markets were characterized by monopolistic power. Even though the 1996 Act acknowledged the Internet's existence for purposes of attempting to legislate control of offensive content, when it came to foreseeing the Net's marketplace impact, and that of other new technologies, Congress didn't look far enough ahead."
