Legislative Background on Broadband Expansion
Recent Action by Congress on Telecommunications Accessibility
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 required the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to determine whether “advanced telecommunications capability is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion.” It mandated that the FCC conduct studies and release periodic reports on progress toward closing the “digital divide” across the United States. Since 1999, the FCC has released eight reports, the most recent of which have concluded that despite the investment of billions of dollars by the communications industry, major reforms must be implemented before broadband capability will be available to the approximately 19 million Americans who still lack access. …
