4. Thirteen years ago Congress took a bold step and created a competitive
telecommunications sector for the first time. Looking back on the Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1993 and the way it allowed wireless to evolve, what were your
expectations and how do you see the results as they stand today?
I believed that legislation would have a huge impact on communications and it
has. The original CBO estimate was that spectrum auctions would only raise
$250 million, and that was considered optimistic in some quarters. After the first
auction which raised billions, I called (former Federal Communications
Commission Chairman) Reed Hundt over at the FCC and asked if the agency
had the federal program in place that gives employees a share of money the
government saves generated by a suggestion from a federal employee. He said
they did, so I asked if I was eligible. He laughed, but it tells you how successful
the program has become.
5. So what about tomorrow for wireless? What, if anything, can Congress do to allow
the wireless industry to provide even more innovative products and services for
American consumers and businesses?
Setting a specific date to auction the DTV spectrum is a great step forward. It will
make the best spectrum available to the wireless industry to deploy 3G and other
services. Another thing Congress can do is pass S.2686, the communications bill
Senator Inouye and I introduced. This bill contains provisions to allow the
wireless industry to use “white spaces,” the vacant TV channels not currently in
use.
6. Is there a danger in patchwork activity aimed at wireless at the state legislative and
regulatory level, and where does Congress come in to that equation?
Inconsistent state laws and regulations could have a negative impact on the
wireless industry. Our bill, S. 2389, addressed this point, creating a national
standard to protect the privacy of cell phone records. It preempts state laws that
would be inconsistent with the national standard.
7. It’s been estimated by a leading analyst group that over the next 10 years wireless
will create up to three million new jobs, add an additional $410 billion to our Gross
Domestic Product, and save U.S. businesses about $600 billion. What’s your reaction
when you hear those kinds of metrics?
That is the best testimony we could have that the communications policies this
Committee articulated in the past worked. But we need to remain vigilant and
make sure that our laws evolve as the technology does. Net neutrality is a good
example. We don’t want to unduly hamper new technologies or deployment of
new facilities through overly rigorous regulation.
