Broadband: A link to the outside world

[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Sen Conrad Burns]
[Comentary] While the Telecom Act promised industry and technology convergence, only recently is it materializing — with telephone, cable and wireless companies invading one another’s turf. Cable companies are offering phone service over the Internet. Telephone companies are offering video service. New technologies and competition have brought consumers a variety of choices for local, long-distance, video, wireless and Internet services, and many companies are offering bundled services. The radical transformation of the industry has led some to call for a rewrite of the Telecom Act. Central issues in the debate today are the reform of the Universal Service Fund (USF), reform of intercarrier compensation, franchising issues for video providers and net neutrality. As Congress begins working to rewrite telecom laws, my focus will be encouraging broadband deployment in every corner of the United States and preserving and improving USF. In revising USF to adapt to the changing technology landscape, it’s essential to maintain commitment levels to USF programs to foster the continued availability of telecom and advanced services in rural communities and to strengthen and improve the overall fund.
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