R Street Institute

Despite failures and open-ended provisions that led to continued Federal Communications Commission meddling in America’s communications and media marketplace, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 included some provisions that produced positive results. The law spurred a move away from price controls and rate-of-return regulations, which were highly destructive.

Unfortunate regulatory history forced Congress to explore major reforms to traditional communications and media policies, and after an intense debate, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 passed. While Congress hoped to “promote competition and reduce regulation,” the Telecom Act ultimately yielded micromanaged, partial liberalization.

February 8^th marked the 30^th anniversary of President Bill Clinton signing the Telecommunications Act of 1996 into law. Its passage marked a crucial moment in the history of information and communications technology policy in the United States. I was actively involved in the debates leading up to the passage of the Telecom Act during my time as an analyst at the Heritage Foundation in the early 1990s.

Over the last two years, the R Street Institute has published the Broadband Scorecard, a project which ranks every state according to how well their laws govern the various aspects of broadband deployment.