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For Immediate Release
April 28, 2005
Media Advisory
The Role of Cities and States in Regulating the Internet to be Addressed by Internet Caucus Panel
What Will the Re-Writing of the Telecom Act Mean for the Roles of Cities, States, and the Federal Government in Regulating the Telecommunications Infrastructure?
WHAT: The Advisory Committee to the Congressional Internet Caucus will host a luncheon panel discussion, entitled "The Role of States and Cities in Regulating the Internet," on Thursday, April 28 in the Capitol Building. The fair and balanced panel will explore how technological innovations have caused the blurring of regulatory boundaries for different forms of communications, and thus caused the distinction between regulatory roles of federal, state, and local regulators to become more obscure. In recent months, issues surrounding the provision of broadband Internet services and introduction of video over Internet protocol services have brought the debate into the headlines. The discussion will be framed in the context of Congress' impending re-write of the Telecom Act, only ten years after its last enactment, and will illuminate the difficulty that lawmakers will face in balancing the federal, state, and local roles in high-tech telecommunications. Our panel will debate the appropriate roles to ensure that America's Internet infrastructure achieves its enormous potential.
WHO: Roger Cochetti, CompTIA, will moderate the panel, which will feature: Commissioner Deborah Tate, Director, Tennessee Regulatory Authority; Rick Cimerman, Senior Director, National Cable & Telecommunications Association; a representative from the National League of Cities; and a representative from a Bell Operating Company.
WHEN: Thursday, April 28, 2005 from 12:00 to 1:30 PM. Lunch will be served.
WHERE: The Mike Mansfield Room of the U.S. Capitol Building (Room S-207).
RSVP: Please RSVP to Danielle Yates at 202.638.4370 or dyates@netcaucus.org.
Press welcome.
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Assuring Informed Decision-Making
The Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee is a diverse group of public interest, non-profit and industry groups working to educate Congress and the public about important Internet-related policy issues. This event is hosted in conjunction with the Internet Caucus and its co-chairs - Senators Conrad Burns (R-MT) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Congressmen Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Rick Boucher (D-VA), and Wireless Task Force Chair, Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA).