[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 59 (Friday, April 11, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E743]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           UNIVERSAL SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. C.L. ``BUTCH'' OTTER

                                of idaho

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 10, 2003

  Mr. OTTER. Mr. Speaker, just as railroads brought prosperity to small 
towns in rural America during the Industrial Revolution, glass fibers 
and silicon wafers are driving today's Information Age. Data is the 
commodity in this new economic revolution, and it can travel at the 
speed of light.
  Through E-commerce, rural America can again be revitalized. But this 
train is bypassing some parts of the country, especially rural areas--
some of which I represent. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 
must favor policies that foster real competition and promote consumer 
choice, not bureaucracy and regulation. FCC policies should not create 
disincentives for companies to deploy new fiber solely because they may 
have more resources and greater expertise then some of their 
competitors. Such policies breach the basic principles of the free 
market: that true competition naturally encourages development of 
cheaper services and better technologies. True competition can never 
exist if regulators insist on creating competitive parity in the 
industry at the expense of advancing technology.
  Mr. Speaker, as we examine the development and deployment of high-
speed communications technologies, we must ensure the existence of true 
competition, we must restore consumer driven integrity to the market, 
and we must not stifle progress.

                          ____________________