Verizon’s Silliman: Consensus on Need for '96 Act Rewrite

Verizon EVP for public policy and government affairs Craig Silliman says he doesn't think there is the same kind of alignment of interests among cable, phone companies and others for communications regulation reform this time around as there was in 1996, but says there is a general consensus that change is needed.

He said that there are currently "a lot of companies pushing for reform from different directions," and consumer advocates and edge providers looking at the current structure and saying it is outmoded. He said there is no disputing the benefits that have flowed to consumers thanks to the Internet, but what is less clear is the consumer benefit that could be happening if the laws were modernized.