April 6, 2006 Arlington, VA -- The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) today praised the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet for passing, by a vote of 27 to 4, legislation that attempts to, among other things, create a deregulatory framework that removes barriers to entry for video service providers and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) service providers.
"TIA is pleased with the House Telecom Subcommittee's continued effort to update the nation's telecom laws to better reflect the realities of today's highly competitive, dynamic, and converging industry," comments TIA President Matthew J. Flanigan. "TIA fully supports the purpose of the measure, which is to increase competition and thereby lower prices for consumers."
TIA says the bill, which also includes a "net neutrality" provision granting the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authority to oversee Internet connectivity, is generally consistent with TIA's market-driven principles.
"As the information and communications technology industry continues to rapidly evolve, TIA especially supports the goal of establishing a firm regulatory foundation that is forward-looking in encouraging competition, investment, innovation, and the deployment of next-generation technologies across all segments of the industry," concludes Flanigan.
