Complete Story
08/10/2016
Republicans see fresh chance to overhaul telecom law
Republicans believe they are finally close to overhauling a landmark law that has been a cornerstone of tech and telecom regulation for decades.
The effort to update the Communications Act, which gives the Federal Communications Commission its authority, has been years in the making and has powerful support.
The chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee and veteran lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are vowing to make changing the law a centerpiece of their 2017 agenda.
Proponents of updating the law, first written in 1934 and last revised in 1996, say it's showing its age and is ill-suited to dealing with a world dominated by high-speed internet and mobile devices instead of phone service and traditional radio broadcasts.
“There are way more moving parts now than there were back then,” said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.) in July, “and we think it’s time for Congress to be heard from again.”
