National Framework Discussion..... It's a Start

 Yesterday I had the opportunity to appear before Chairman Ed Markey's subcommittee to talk about an important issue facing wireless consumers in America. Overall, it was a positive hearing as nearly every committee member and witness communicated a common desire and goal - to continue providing American consumers with the most cutting-edge wireless technology at the most affordable prices possible. The main focus of the hearing was to discuss Chairman Markey's draft wireless legislation and to address the question of how best to treat mobile telecommunications services from a regulatory standpoint. While the draft legislation is still a work in progress, we are very pleased that Chairman Markey has started this important discussion and we look forward to illustrating the many valuable consumer benefits that accompany a uniform set of national standards for wireless service in America. I'd also be remiss if I didn't point out that Energy and Commerce Chairman Dingell and Subcommittee Ranking Member Stearns each expressed support for the idea of having a national set of rules for wireless service.
     

So what exactly are the consumer benefits that have flowed from national uniformity? In my testimony I mentioned that the cost per voice minute, which was about one dollar twenty years ago, has dropped to 4 cents today. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for commercial wireless services have fallen more than 35% since December 1997. During the same period, the average minutes of use ("MOU") per subscriber increased six-fold, from an average of 120 MOU per month to an average of 746 MOU per month. Statistics and realities like the ones I just highlighted put the United States at the forefront of the global, mobile wireless revolution. And it is our hope that with a uniform set of national rules for wireless service, consumers can continue to get the cutting-edge mobile services they want and need at world-leading prices. Stay tuned.