Telecommunications Act of 1996

Telecommunications Act of 1996 is the major revision of the law governing how communications industries are regulated, the Communications Act of 1934.

The industries directly affected by the law include: over-the-air television and radio stations, cable television operators, satellite broadcasters, wireline telephone companies(local and long distance), wireless telephone companies, and others.

The general intent of the revision is summarized, among experts, as deregulation and promotion of facility-based competition. Many agree in that the Telecom Act did not fulfill those goals well. Yet there are contradictory accounts how and why it failed, what should be done.