He also noted the good turnout of local officials at this event. Commissioner Squadron asserted that current regulatory frameworks designed for monopolistic utilities are outmoded for overseeing a competitive telecommunications environment featuring multiple providers offering multiple services. Moreover, current structures are not particularly well-suited for the transition to that new environment.
Congressional legislation adds immediacy to the issue.
According to Mr. Squadron, agreeing on the division of regulatory responsibility for the landscape of the future would most benefit the public. The FCC's creation of the video dial-tone concept illustrates what can happen when a mutually agreeable framework is not achieved. The result is confusion in the marketplace, uneven protection for consumers, and substantial uncertainty. NII principles would be used for substantive guidance and, ideally, NTIA would participate. In response to questions from the audience, Commissioner Squadron asserted that local governments have not had a disproportionate share of problems in telecommunications regulation in terms of corruption, wrongdoing, or lack of sophistication.