McCormick Tells Telecom Subcommittee Internet Legislation Will Chill Broadband Innovation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, in testimony before the House Telecom Subcommittee of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Walter B. McCormick Jr., President and CEO of the United States Telecom Association (USTelecom), urged Congress to take the time to gather the facts on broadband deployment before enacting premature legislation that could impede investment and innovation in broadband that helps protect the environment and delivers better health care and education services to consumers.
“Very creative people are taking the potential of broadband and turning it into incredible life-enhancing tools – remote medical monitoring, online education, and new applications for first-responders,” McCormick testified. “Congress should be careful to do no harm, to avoid taking the creativity and experimentation and innovation and investment that is occurring and putting it all into limbo while the government argues over the meaning of words. Instead, let’s keep the investment and ingenuity flowing.”
On H.R. 5353, broadband legislation introduced by Chairman Ed Markey (D-MA), McCormick warned that the bill “does not establish a national policy that calls for broadband deployment. Nowhere does it call for increased investment or expanded penetration. And in fact, the language in this bill raises uncertainties that could chill investment, and bring to a grinding halt the development of creative and innovative uses of broadband that today are showing extraordinary promise.”
McCormick pointed to the many ways consumers benefit from broadband including by helping to advance the economy, creating new jobs, improving the environment through telecommuting, bringing new innovations to health care, and improving education and personal security. “Our members are committed to broadband investment and deployment, to increased broadband penetration, and to bringing the full promise of broadband to all Americans,” McCormick stated.
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The United States Telecom Association, USTelecom, is the premier broadband trade association representing service providers
and suppliers for the telecom industry. USTelecom represents companies offering a wide range of services across the communications
platforms, including voice, video and data over local exchange, long distance, wireless, Internet and cable services.