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Lawmakers Want Telecom Update
The 1985 Telecommunications Act is set to expire this year in Illinois, and state lawmakers say it is time for an update.

State Rep. Kevin McCarthy (D-Orland Park) is sponsoring a bill to modernize the law that will allow more investment from private companies, better access to broadband technologies across the state, and opportunities to create new broadband networks.

McCarthy says less regulation on the industry will open the state to more investment from private companies, and that could translate to more jobs.

Susan Satter, an assistant attorney at the Attorney General's office, however, fears that less regulation of quality services could equate to fewer jobs because fewer people would be needed to assure quality service.

Jeff Mays, president of the Illinois Business Roundtable, disagrees. He says if people were so concerned about quality, they would not have switched from landlines to cellular phones, which are not regulated. He says quality assurance would be provided by competition in the industry. If people are not satisfied with their phone service, they could switch to another company.

The bill is H.B. 6425.

(Illinois Radio Network)
04 14 10 by Newsroom
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