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Technology Group Wants Less Regulation
The Illinois Technology Partnership says it's time to update the Illinois Telecommunications Act. The 1985 act is set to expire this year, and the group says rewriting the outdated laws could create thousands of jobs for the state.

The partnership sponsored a study by the Discovery Institute, led by Director Hance Haney. He says the Federal Communications Commission estimates the cost of high-speed universal broadband at $350 billion. Haney says most of that investment will come from private telecommunications companies. Illinois, according to Haney, is less competitive for investment from those companies because of unnecessary regulations, and he hopes state lawmakers will update the law so the state can land more jobs.

He says companies associate less risk with investing in states that have little regulation. Haney uses landline telephones as an example. He says there is no disadvantage for landlines compared to cellular phones, but Illinois heavily regulates the medium and that makes the service more expensive than it should be. Haney says less regulation would mean more competition and lower prices.

Executive director of ITP, Lindsay Mosher, says updating the laws could create more than 100,000 new jobs for Illinois. The economy could also see a $6 billion boost, she says.

The Telecommunications Act has not been updated since 2001.

(Illinois Radio Network)
04 01 10 by Newsroom
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