The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was the first major overhaul of United States telecommunications policy in nearly 62 years, modifying earlier legislation, primarily the Communications Act of 1934. It was approved by the 104th Congress on January 3, 1996. It was signed into law by United States President Bill Clinton on February 8, 1996. The legislation regulates:

• Broadcasting by over-the-air television and radio stations;
• cable television operators;
• satellite broadcasters;
• Wireline telephone companies (local and long distance), wireless telephone companies, and others.

The general intention of the Act was deregulation and promotion of competition. The Act removed barriers which had previously prevented telecoms from competing head-to-head and thus the Act has fostered competition. However, degregulation was also intended to offer consumers a choice in local phone service. By 1999, 98% of homes had no choice in local service. The only alternative being cell phones, which are gradually becoming the primary choice for more Americans.

Passage of the Act resulted in several major mergers, including:

• AT&T bought TCI Corp ;
• Bell Atlantic and NYNEX merged;
• Southwestern Bell and PacTel merged to become SBC and then bought Ameritech;
• MCI Communications and WorldCom merged;
• Bell Atlantic and GTE merged.

Title V was the Communications Decency Act, aimed at regulating online pornography but was later defeated in the courts by on constitutional grounds by advocates of free speech.

External links

• Communications Act of 1934, as Amended by the Telecommunications Act of 1996
• Telecommunications Act of 1996

References

• A Legislative History of the Communications Act of 1934, by Paglin, Max D. - Oxford University Press, New York. 1989.
• Brinkley Act - Section 325(b) of the Communications Act of 1934 that was written into law in an attempt to halt live broadcasting from radio studios in the United States linked via telephone land lines to superpower border-blaster transmitters located along the Mexican side of the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo), international boder. This provision was carried through into the Telecommunications Act of 1996 by incorporation of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended to Section 325(c).