C&T Hearing: The Telecommunications Act of 1996: 30 Years Later

House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Communications and Technology · March 27, 2026

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Opening remarks by subcommittee chair

Presentation

14:29 → 18:27(3m 57s)

The subcommittee chair opened the hearing to mark the 30th anniversary of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, summarized its original goals (competition, deregulation, universal service) and noted technological changes since 1996, including broadband and mobile computing. He framed the hearing as an opportunity to consider modernizing the Communications Act and cited "section 230" as a foundational provision that shaped the Internet economy.

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A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing marked the 30th anniversary of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and examined whether the law still fits today's broadband, media, and AI-era challenges. Witnesses and members debated modernizing the law, the scope of agency authority (FCC/NTIA), media ownership caps, and federal broadband deployment programs.

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Transcript

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