[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 82 (Wednesday, June 13, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1096-E1097]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         INTERNET FREEDOM AND BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT ACT OF 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM SAWYER

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 13, 2001

  Mr. SAWYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1542, the Internet 
Freedom and Broadband Deployment Act of 2001. While this bill is 
controversial, I believe that it is fundamentally headed in the right 
direction. In fact, I authored an amendment to this bill to assure 
that, if the Bell Operating Companies receive relief to deliver high-
speed Internet services, they would be required to deliver Internet 
services to underserved areas.
  The bill would free the Bells of regulation to compete freely with 
long-distance providers and cable companies for high-speed Internet 
services. Of course, those companies which are already unregulated in 
providing high-speed Internet services oppose putting the Bells on an 
equal playing field.
  I am less interested in the great turf wars among competitors than I 
am in how fair competition benefits the consumer, and whether technical 
advances--especially high speed Internet services, or broadband--will 
be made available across America.
  Broadband access, along with the content and services it might 
enable, has the potential to transform the Internet--both what it 
offers and how it is used. For example, a two-way high speed broadband 
connection could be used for interactive applications such as online 
classrooms, showrooms, or health clinics, where teacher and student (or 
customer and salesperson, doctor and patient) could see and hear each 
other through their computers. An ``always on'' connection could be 
used to monitor home security, home automation, or even patient health 
remotely through the Internet.
  The high speed and high volume that broadband offers could also be 
used for bundled service where, for example, cable television, video on 
demand, voice, data, and other services are all offered over a single 
line. In truth, many of the applications that will best exploit the 
technological capabilities of broadband, while also capturing the 
imagination of consumers, have yet to be developed.
  My amendment, which was adopted by the House Committee, requires the 
Bells to make

[[Page E1097]]

20 percent of their central [switching] offices capable of carrying 
high speed data within the first year after enactment. In the second 
year, that number would rise to 40 percent of the central offices, and 
in the third year, 70 percent. After five years after enactment, 100 
percent of the offices must be able to provide high-speed Internet 
access. While this does not mean that 100 percent of the nation will be 
hooked up, it will make an enormous leap in availability.
  The amendment is flexible in that it allows the Bell Operating 
Companies to provide service through alternative technologies other 
than Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL), which utilize copper and fiber 
telephone infrastructure, in meeting this requirement. If a company 
would like to provide wireless or satellite as an alternative to DSL, 
they can under my amendment. A failure to comply with the requirements 
could trigger substantial Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 
fines.
  Finally, the amendment requires the affected companies to report 
annually to the FCC on progress in deployment of these services to the 
underserved communities.
  I believe this is a reasonable approach, that simply holds the Bells 
accountable for what they have promised if they get relief.
  The bill, with my amendment, was accepted by the Energy and Commerce 
Committee on May 9, 2001. The Judiciary Committee has also held a 
hearing on the bill and plans to consider it before it comes to the 
floor of the House for a vote later this summer.
  The future of telecommunications is full of uncertainty as competing 
companies and industries try to anticipate technological advances, 
market conditions, consumer preferences, and even cultural and societal 
trends. Congress should work to ensure industry competition and to 
provide for service to all sectors and geographical locations of 
American society. I believe the bill, with my amendment, has the 
potential to reach this public policy goal.

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