C&T Subcommittee Holds Hearing to Review the 1996 Telecom Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, led a hearing titled The Telecommunications Act of 1996: 30 Years Later.

"The world of 1996 looks nothing like the world of today, and it's time we update our laws to reflect that," said Chairman Hudson. "Congress needs to consider how we should modernize our communications policy framework to reflect the technologies of today in a way that will also work for the technologies of tomorrow."

Watch the full hearing here.

Below are key excerpts from today's hearing:

Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05): "Can we maintain a light-touch regulatory approach to ensure we maintain that lead globally when we talk about telecommunications in the United States?" Mr. Pickering: "Yes, I believe we can take a light-touch approach, building on the lessons from the '96 Act. That approach now applies to both energy and telecommunications, including broadband-the critical infrastructure for AI that converges at the data center. You're in a great position as Chairman of the Energy Subcommittee, working with Chairman Hudson, to advance permitting reform this session. We're in a race against China, and the clock is ticking. Their advantages could swing the race in their favor if we don't act in this Congress. We need to build new energy networks and capacity, as well as achieve the fiber connectivity that distributes AI applications and uses across the country."

Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01): "30 years is a long time. Think of what has changed in 30 years, particularly when you talk about telecommunications. And don't get me wrong-the Telecommunications Act of 1996, we all agree, was great. It unleashed competition and innovation, but it was different then. We need to make sure we are dealing with the [modern] times."

Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11): "I'd like to ask how Congress should update the framework of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to match the work Chairman Carr is doing, such as deleting obsolete, technology-specific rules and moving toward a more technology-neutral approach." Mr. Thierer: "The 'delete, delete, delete' proceeding is a good example of how we can move in that direction. We should have been doing that a long time ago. Instead, Congress, in the Telecommunications Act, delegated broad forbearance authority and hoped the FCC would voluntarily loosen the chains-and it hasn't worked out that way."