Congressman Brett Guthrie, Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Richard Hudson, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, announced on Mar. 19 a hearing titled ‘The Telecommunications Act of 1996: 30 Years Later.’ The hearing is scheduled for March 26 at 10:15 AM ET in the Rayburn House Office Building and will be open to the public and press.
Chairmen Guthrie and Hudson said, “The communications marketplace has transformed dramatically in the thirty years since the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was signed into law. This hearing will examine what parts of the law have worked, what have not, and how Congress can build on those lessons to modernize our laws to promote innovation, strengthen competition, and drive investment in modern communications networks.”
Chip Pickering, CEO of INCOMPAS, delivered an opening statement reflecting on his experience with the Act as a staffer for Senator Lott, as a Member of Congress overseeing its implementation, and now from the private sector. According to Pickering: “This milestone is especially meaningful to me personally. I had the privilege of working on the Act as a staffer for Senator Lott, overseeing the implementation of it as a Member of Congress, and today I see its lasting impact from the private sector as CEO of INCOMPAS… Few pieces of legislation have had as profound and enduring impact on our economy and society. At its core, the Act was grounded in a simple but powerful principle: Competition drives innovation.”
Pickering said that INCOMPAS represents competitors building future networks along with innovators delivering internet content and AI infrastructure companies. He said that their members are catalysts for economic growth through technological innovation enabled by services made possible by the 1996 Act. He added that Congress’s decision to break down monopolies led to unprecedented private investment and expanded consumer choice.
He emphasized universal service as an ongoing commitment ensuring all Americans can access digital networks. Looking ahead at developments like artificial intelligence and next-generation networks built by INCOMPAS members—including fiber infrastructure—Pickering called for policies promoting competition over concentration, removing deployment barriers, encouraging predictable investment policy, maintaining open connectivity standards, streamlining permitting processes for new infrastructure projects such as data centers or fiber networks without regulatory delays, and advancing competitive energy policies necessary for an AI-enabled economy.
Further details about this hearing are available according to the official roster page.
