As we prepare to enter the 21st Century, access to advanced, high-speed Internet services is emerging as the most crucial telecommunications policy issue facing Congress. The stakes are high. It is likely that a small business, library, medical center or university in a rural state won t be able to get convenient, economical access to these high speed on-ramps, and are soon to be consigned to the backwaters of 21st Century economic development.
Several states don t have any backbone hubs at all.
The Internet Freedom and Broadband Deployment Act of 1999. Simply put, our goal is to provide American consumers with choices in Internet service and high speed backbone access. Thus far over 100 Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have cosponsored this legislation. It s competition. And, contrary to the claims of the opposition, H.R. 2420 does not remove the obligation of the RBOCs to open their markets to voice competition as provided under the terms of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.