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Full-Text Articles in Law
The Information Superhighway: Trolls At The Tollgate, Charles M. Oliver
The Information Superhighway: Trolls At The Tollgate, Charles M. Oliver
Federal Communications Law Journal
Prior to the passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, policymakers sought funding and regulatory mechanisms capable of fulfilling the vision of an Information Superhighway. Vice President Gore, the Clinton Administration's point person on the issue, initially proposed assessing fees on other sectors of the telecommunications industry to fund construction. Meanwhile, conservatives asserted that deregulation of the industry would achieve the desired result. A compromise ultimately was reached: the 1996 Act requires local exchange carriers to unbundle their networks and provide access at a reasonable cost to competitors. The use of regulatory formulas in lieu of taxes to subsidize a national …
The Telecommunications Act Of 1996: Codifying The Digital Divide, Allen S. Hammond Iv
The Telecommunications Act Of 1996: Codifying The Digital Divide, Allen S. Hammond Iv
Federal Communications Law Journal
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 purports to ensure every American eventual access to advanced telecommunications networks and services, and more immediate access to basic telephone networks and services. This access is essential because it determines the ease with which Americans can acquire an education, obtain employment, control financial affairs, access emergency assistance, and participate in the political process. The interpretation and implementation of the 1996 Act is critical because there is an imminent danger that a large portion of society— in inner cities, near suburbs, and small towns— not be connected to the "national electronic nervous system." To ensure that …