In 1996, Bill Clinton changed the Telecommunications
Act. The bill was rewritten and Reed Hundt—the former chairman of the FCC—had this
to say, “The new law assumes that all
parts of the communications marketplace can be made competitive. The new law is
intended to end the era of big government in communications and begin the era
of genuine competition.”
Simply stated, it was never meant to hand the
internet over lock, stock, and barrel
to the president to do with as he pleases. In fact, the internet is not
specified in section (706) which Senator Cornyn says gives the government
authority over it.
Sec. 706
(a)
General
---The Commission and each State commission with
regulatory jurisdiction over telecommunications services shall encourage the
deployment on a reasonable and timely basis of advanced telecommunications
capability to all Americans (including and in particular, elementary and
secondary schools and classrooms) by utilizing, in a manner consistent with the
public interest, convenience, and necessity, price cap regulation, regulatory
forbearance, measures that promote competition in the local telecommunications
market, or other regulating methods that remove barriers to infrastructure
investment.
(b)The Commission shall, within 30 months after the
date of enactment of this Act, and regularly thereafter, initiate a notice to
inquiry concerning the availability of advanced telecommunications capability
to all Americans (including, in particular, elementary and secondary schools
and classrooms) and shall complete the inquiry within 180 days after its
initiation. In the inquiry, the Commission shall determine whether advanced
telephone communications capability is being deployed to all Americans in a
reasonable and timely fashion. If the Commission’s determination is negative,
it shall take immediate action to accelerate deployment of such capability by
removing barriers to infrastructure investment by promoting competition in the
telecommunications market.
(d) Definition of Advanced Telecommunications
Capability: without regard to any transmission media or technology, as
high-speed (remember all internet was
dial up at this time), switched, broadband telecommunications (it’s talking about radio) capability
that enables users to originate and receive high-quality voice, data, graphics,
and video telecommunications using any technology.
Basically, the Telecommunications Act governed
phone, television, and radio services/utilities. At first glance—knowing that
some of the terms are used today for internet—it appears that it is talking
about the internet, however, the WWW (World Wide Web) that we know today, did
not come into being until 1996-1998 after the bill was written (Arpanet was a
much smaller and more expensive net system and not mentioned). Future
telecommunications is a very broad term. Wireless communication was governed by
the CTIA until recently…so wirless is not even mentioned in the paragraph above,
and cell phones used in the 90s were for the most part dependent upon external
wired gear.
In very broad terms, your future communications on
the phone could be misconstrued as falling under the FCC’s power/governance,
and some of it does, even now. Fortunately for Obama, he has the NSA spying on
all phone users and has done away with the prerequisite warrant issue—that pesky
little bit insuring our privacy in the Constitution as a God-given right. This
is rather like the case in congress over Obamacare now; it was meant to do one
thing and is being used to give power that was never issued.
Also, it would seem that there would be a need for Obama
and his minions to work in-concert with state regulatory commissions, rather than
a bill drawn up to suit his highness’ taste and passed by 5 members (3
Democrats and 2 Republicans) of congress. In fact, we have not had
representation by our congressmen/women or by our state regulatory commissions
in the matter of net neutrality.
Also, one other thing to note while reading the
Telecommunications Act is that nowhere does it say that all Americans will receive
service for free, but under a price regulation cap. When the government demands
that All American’s are to have equal
access to the internet, it does mean that some should pay while others are
given their service off the backs of subscribers.
Under Obama, laws and acts have been changed without
Constitutional process. And so the word comes now that he plans to federalize
the police departments, and create climate control laws through EO. Executive Orders
are at best, barely legal and Obama is using them to make law. The President of
the United States does not have the power to make, alter, or declare a law no
longer valid, on his own accord. His power is to suggest and to sign law into
existence, or to veto what he feels is inappropriate, such as 40-thousand jobs
for American citizens (Keystone Pipeline).
Obama has given—given himself??—powers not allotted a
president, because the founding fathers knew too much power corrupts and becomes
tyrannical. Obama is a tyrant and now he has used the Telecommunications Act to
alter yet another portion of our lives.