Congressional veterans chair telecom task force

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U.S. CongressThe Minority Media Telecommunications Council and its associates and collaborators have decided to form a task force to work all the levers of power in Washington to reform the telecommunications industry, and have found a bipartisan pair of recently-retired US Representatives to front the new Telecom and Internet Policy Task Force: We give you Edolphus Towns (D-NY) and Cliff Stearns (R-FL).


MMTC said it will be advocating its positions on numerous fronts, seeking reform via “…legislation, rulemaking, executive orders, public-private partnerships and best practices.”

Both former legislators worked together for many years as members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, with particular service on the Communications and Technology and Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade subcommittees.

Towns stated, “Our taskforce will work tirelessly to pave the way for much-needed communications infrastructure to better serve our citizens when disaster strikes, eliminate the digital divide in communities of color, and eliminate the barriers to entry facing small businesses in the rapidly increasing and lucrative field of telecommunications. As I have stated before in regards to telecommunications reform, I am committed to redoubling my efforts to ensure that Congress updates its laws so that communications can become a bridge of access and not a barrier of exclusion.”

Stearns added, “The time for comprehensive telecom policy reform is overdue. Since the Telecommunications Act of 1996, technology has evolved rapidly and has converged. On the one hand, technology has been beneficial while our archaic telecom laws are further dividing the nation and preventing a substantial number of Americans from fully participating fully in the communications industry. If we want to make sure that all Americans have a fair shot at taking advantage of the vast opportunities available in the communications industry, we must comprehensively reform the telecom laws, regulations and policies currently in place.”