30th Anniversary of the 96 Act: What Did We Learn?

Congressional passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the subsequent FCC implementation was the last major effort by the federal government to construct a new regulatory framework for the technology, media, and telecommunications sector.  Those actions drove competition, innovation, and investment into faster, better, and cheaper technology to increase economic growth and expand connectivity for consumers. At a moment when innovation is accelerating at an ever-increasing pace, the critical issues regulators currently face include artificial intelligence, media, competition, convergence, access, and cybersecurity. 

FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez will host panel conversations featuring communications and technology policy experts that lived through the creation and implementation of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.  The purpose of these panels is to consider how the lessons from 30 years ago can be used to drive innovation and competition for the benefit of consumers today.

• Panel 1:  The Legislative Process That Led to the Act
• Panel 2:  FCC Implementation of the Act
• Panel 3:  Today’s Challenges