roundtable: H.R. 1555 Telecom deregulation "set for vote"

roundtable: H.R. 1555 Telecom deregulation "set for vote"

H.R. 1555 Telecom deregulation "set for vote"

W. Curtiss Priest (BMSLIB@mitvma.mit.edu)
Thu, 25 May 95 09:29:57 EDT 

Message-Id: <9505251332.AA17482@a.cni.org>
Date:         Thu, 25 May 95 09:29:57 EDT
From: "W. Curtiss Priest" <BMSLIB@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject:      H.R. 1555 Telecom deregulation "set for vote"
To: Telecommunications Policy Roundtable <ROUNDTABLE@CNI.ORG>


HOUSE BILL DEREGULATING CABLE RATES SET FOR VOTE

May 25, 1995
CITS Observations on attached article:
W. Curtiss Priest

Like the commerce subcommittee, it appears that Republicans want
little debate on H.R. 1555.

Markey's strategy appears to be a basic "consumer pocket-book"
approach.  Appeal to a mass of voters who don't want to see their
cable rates go up.

Ownership does appear to be an active issue, but there appear to
be as many forces pushing for relaxing ownership rules as those
concerned about cross-ownership.

Curiously, there were no comments in the article from the telcos.
Perhaps the "closed door meetings" in January were sufficient to
work out their interests.

It is our judgment that the political system is incapable of dealing
with the public interest until the pain or vacuousness of the new
commercially constructed cyberspace is felt.

But by then industry and consumers will have spent billions of dollars
constructing the industry driven values world of cyberspace.  This
cyberspace embodies only the visions of profits.  And too many
aspects of communication and relationships do not.

Interoperability was conspicuously missing in the article.  Microsoft
has gone on record against the interoperability requirements.

It is in true interoperability that we can, at least, be assured that
if it is "competition" that will build 99% of cyberspace, at least
the little guy, with fresh, caring innovations won't be squeezed out.

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****************************Advertisement********************************
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****************************Advertisement********************************
House bill
deregulating
cable rates
set for vote

By Jeannine Aversa
ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON - A House panel pressed forward
on the most significant rewrite of telecommunications
laws in 61 years yesterday, including the dismantling of
regulations that have held down cable prices since 1993.

The House Commerce Committee began consider-
ation of the bill that would free cable, local telephone and
long-distance companies to get into each others' busi-
nesses. It also would deregulate cable television rates.

The panel is expected to approve the measure today.

The final package is expected to incorporate changes
worked out between GOP members and Democrats on
some contentious issues, including broadcast deregula-
tion and the extent to which one company may own a,
cross section of media outlets in a local market,

Rep. Michael Oxley (R-Ohio), the author of another
controversial provision - repeal of foreign ownership lim-
its - expected his compromise to be included in the final
bill as well.                      . ;

But a dispute over the bill's cable deregulation provi-
sions remained unresolved, lawmakers said.

One of the most significant changes to the bill yester-
day would give state regulators the authority to increase
local telephone rates for low-income customers-during a
three-year rate freeze provided in the current bill. The
rate freeze is designed to protect the poor as the local
phone business enters a more competitive phase.

The measure giving states rate discretion passed 30-
13, with opponents complaining that it guts the protec-
tions afforded by the freeze.

With the future of multibillion-dollar industries. at
stake, the telecommunications legislation is attracting,
enormous attention from legions of lobbyists.

"Everybody is for competition . . . provided they have
a fair advantage," joked Rep. Thomas Bliley (R-Va.),
chairman of the committee.

Bliley expects the House to vote on the bill in July.
The Senate, which has a similar telecommunications re-
form bill, could begin considering its bill on June 5.

Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), architect of the
1992 law that led to cable rate regulation, planned to
offer an amendment that would build in a number of
consumer protections to the bill's cable deregulation pro-
visions.

Though the amendment is not expected to pass in the
committee, Markey hopes to generate enough public op-
position to the bill's cable provisions to bring about a
veto from President Clinton.

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