[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 12 (Thursday, February 10, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E114]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1996

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DIANA DeGETTE

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 10, 2000

  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, four years ago this week, the Congress 
approved the Telecommunications Act of 1996. While I was not a Member 
of Congress at that time, I was working on these issues while I was in 
the Colorado state legislature. on the anniversary of the Act, I would 
like to both herald the progress that has been made and comment on what 
challenges remain.
  One of the main goals of the 1996 Act was to allow more competitors 
into local phone markets in order to spur competition and provide 
better opportunities for consumers. The introduction of competition 
into the local markets has been much slower than anticipated and, at 
this time, over 90% of Americans have very little choice of local 
telephone providers.
  The ultimate goal of course is greater competition in all markets, 
which will result in more choices and better prices for consumers. Many 
new companies, many of which are located in my home state of Colorado, 
have sprung up in the past few years and have gained a significant 
foothold in the exploding business of e-commerce. Nearly a billion 
dollars are being invested by new entrant telecommunications companies 
in facilities and services every month.
  Today, more than ninety-nine percent of Americans can reach an 
Internet Service Provider (ISP) with a local phone call. Forty-six 
states have 100 or more ISPs and more than half of the states have over 
200 ISPs to choose from. These ISPs connect into backbone providers 
which have also grown from fourteen at that time the Act was passed, to 
forty-three today.
  This growth has been remarkable and has benefited consumers 
enormously. It is important that the pro-competitive provisions of the 
1996 Act are kept in place so that we can keep moving towards a fully 
integrated and competitive market.
  I am strongly in favor of increased competition in all areas of 
telecommunications, which will mean better service and lower prices for 
customers. The sooner there is more competition in both local and long-
distance telephone markets and the Internet industry, the better it 
will be for all consumers. I look forward to the day when my 
constituents have a multitude of choices in all areas of in 
telecommunications, whether it be voice or high-speed data services.

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