TAUZIN: SUMMER TIME WILL BE TELECOM TIME
The summer months will feature several hearings on telecom issues, House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.) told reporters Wed. following the markup of spectrum legislation (see separate story, this issue.). He said the committee would have to focus on Medicare and other issues in May, but would use June and July to focus on telecom issues, including the DTV transition, E-911, the Universal Service Fund (USF), E-rate and broadband deployment. Tauzin said his committee should be able to tackle several telecom issues in a 7-week span during those months. House Telecom Subcommittee Chmn. Upton (R-Mich.) said he would hold a hearing this spring on spectrum usage and its relation to public safety.
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Before holding hearings this summer, Tauzin said he would try to meet with Senate Commerce Committee Chmn. McCain (R-Ariz.) to coordinate their efforts. The House Commerce Committee will take a “good, hard look” at USF, he said, particularly the differences between the high-cost and low- cost funds, as well as how new telecom service entrants are affecting USF. He said legislation by Rep. Terry (R-Neb.) (HR-1582), addressed some of the USF issues, but said a broader solution was needed. That bill is designed to change the formula for distributing USF to allow more states to receive portions of the “nonrural” high-cost fund (CD April 4 p1).
Tauzin said the committee would take a particularly close look at content issues and try to balance content producers’ concerns on piracy while protecting fair use rights for consumers. It also will look at other ways the govt. can encourage broadband deployment.
The FCC should feel free to take its time with the eagerly awaited Triennial Review order, Tauzin said. “I respect the fact that they're being deliberate.” He said the Commission had many issue to parse in the controversial ruling, which infuriated him and many other Republicans after FCC Comr. Martin voted to keep UNE-P provisions. Tauzin said since the issue was sure to be taken to court, the FCC should make sure the order could stand up to a challenge. However, he said the agency should waste no more time on broadcast ownership issues and keep to its June 2 deadline for ruling on the proceeding. The FCC has had years to work on broadcast ownership issues and now must draft rules that reflect the changes in industry, he said. In discussing ownership, Tauzin several times referred to free speech concerns as a reason the FCC needed to relax ownership rules.