Telecommunications & Internet 
As a senior member of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, I am very concerned with our nation's telecommunications laws. While the 1996 Telecommunications Act served its purpose in starting to deregulate the market, technology has advanced so much that we need to update these laws.
If we are able to modernize our telecommunications laws to better fit today's technology, I am confident that that there will be more competition, which will lead to lower costs for consumers, and which will improve thequality of life for millions of Americans.
The private sector is proceeding with the deployment of broadband technologies that provide high-speed Internet access. Currently, the vast majority of users access the Internet through the telephone line via a dial-up modem. The traditional telephone line offers a limited data transmission rate while broadband uses have the ability to send and receive data at far greater volumes and speeds. In addition, broadband access provides a continuous connection and the capability to both download and upload data.
Broadband is transforming the Internet and making the digital economy faster and more efficient. Although many businesses now use broadband, only 8 percent of American households have broadband access. It is the role of Congress to ensure that broadband deployment is timely and available to all sectors and areas of American society, and that industry competes fairly in delivering these services.
As e-commerce continues to flourish and broadband services expand, an emerging technology offers massive potential for new products and services – that technology is third-generation wireless ((3G) services. The first generation of wireless communications, introduced in the 1980s and still in use today, is analog. Second-generation services are digital, providing faster and better voice and data communications.
This synthesis of mobile communications and the Internet, 3G represents another technological leap forward with significant economic benefits. The deployment of these services gives consumers new digital products, such as high-speed Internet access and video and informational services. It also offers high-tech and information services a new avenue for innovation and growth.
However, the deployment of 3G is constrained because the Federal government has yet to develop a comprehensive, workable spectrum policy. The spectrum is the range of airwave bands carrying radio, wireless, and other signals. Considered a public resource, the spectrum is regulated or controlled by the government. Congress needs to develop a plan for the more efficient use of the spectrum to accommodate growing demands and new technologies.
Although the United States is the leader in these fields, the world will not wait on us. If we are to maintain our preeminence in providing high-tech and information services, we must remove antiquated obstacles that no longer serve the public interest and merely impede the development and deployment of new technologies. That is one of my top priorities.
