Growing competition

Local phone competition is on the rise, says the FCC's latest report. Among the findings: Competitive carriers reported 12.7 million, or 6.7%, of the 192 million local phone lines in service on June 30, 2000, up from 8.3 million lines, or 4.4% of the total, at the end of 1999. More than 60% of CLEC lines served medium-sized and large business customers. CLECs used their own local loops to serve about one-third of their lines.

Bills that became law...

Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Act (H.R. 4391) Sponsor: Rep. Henry J. Hyde, R-Ill. Amends federal tax provisions to allow mobile services to be taxed by jurisdiction of customer's "place of primary use," regardless of where services begin, end or pass through. Became law July 28, 2000

ORBIT Act (S. 376) Sponsor: Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont. Privatizes Intelsat to encourage competition in satellite-based telecom services. Became law March 17, 2000

Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (S. 761) Sponsor: Sen. Spencer Abraham, R-Mich. Ensures legality of many contracts and other "instruments of electronic commerce" if they are signed or affirmed by electronic signatures. Became law June 30, 2000.

Bills that didn't make it...

Telephone Excise Tax Repeal (H.R. 4516; introduced as H.R. 3916) Sponsors: Reps. Robert Portman, R-Ohio, and Robert Matsui, D-Calif. Repeals 3% federal excise tax on telephone service, enacted in 1898 to help fund Spanish-American War. Clinton vetoed bill Oct. 30, 2000

Reciprocal Compensation Adjustment Act (H.R. 4445) Sponsor: Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La. Defines dial-up calls to ISPs as non-local and not subject to payments carriers must make to terminate each other's local traffic. Passed House telecom subcommittee

Independent Telecommunications Consumer Enhancement Act (H.R. 3850/S. 2572) Sponsors: Rep. Barbara Cubin, R-Wyo., and Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont. Requires FCC to reduce reporting requirements and other regulations for carriers serving less than 2% of nation's installed subscriber lines. Passed full House

Universal Service Support Act (H.R. 2476) Sponsor: Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont. Removes caps on size of universal service fund and on per-loop support individual carriers can receive from fund. Referred to Senate Commerce Committee

Internet Freedom and Broadband Deployment Act (H.R. 2420) Sponsors: Reps. Billy Tauzin, R-La., and John Dingell, D-Mich. Amends 1996 Telecom Act to let incumbent telcos sell high-speed data services over long distances without first obtaining FCC approval to carry interLATA calls. Referred to House telecom subcommittee

Broadband Internet Access Act (H.R. 4728/S. 2698) Sponsors: Rep. Philip S. English, R-Pa., and Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y. Allows temporary, two-tiered tax credit for companies that deploy Internet access in unserved areas. Referred to House Ways & Means and Senate Finance committees

Internet Access Charge Prohibition Act (H.R. 1291) Sponsor: Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich. Prohibits FCC from imposing per-minute access charges on ISPs. Passed House, placed on Senate calendar

Internet Freedom Act (H.R. 1686) Sponsors: Reps. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and Rick Boucher, D-Va. Bans FCC from regulating the Internet, removes regulations that prevent incumbent carriers from selling high-speed data services. Referred to House telecom subcommittee