TIA Proposes Five-Point Strategy for Sustained Telecom Recovery

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) released a five-point plan for sustained telecom recovery that calls for:


A National broadband policy. TIA is asking President George W. Bush to announce the initiation of a national broadband strategy in his State of the Union address in January 2004. The association is proposing nine specific principals as the basis for a national broadband policy.


Implementation of the FCC's framework for broadband deregulation, specifically the removal of regulatory obstacles for last mile investments.TIA believes that this decision to not require incumbent local exchange carriers to provide unbundled access to new, last-mile broadband facilities will be a critical linchpin in the turnaround of the telecommunications industry and a key to its long-term growth.


Legislative tax incentives for broadband deployment to stimulate the buildout of broadband networks on a nationwide basis. Recently, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) included a one-year version of the broadband expensing measure as a provision in his JOBS Act. TIA is now urging the Senate to act.


Spectrum allocation for new services. TIA is urging quick passage of the Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act (H.R. 1320), which addresses the funding of relocation costs incurred as a result of the reallocation of spectrum from federal to non-federal use. TIA is also urging the FCC move quickly to finalize the service rules for the 1700 MHz spectrum.


R&D funding for communications sector. TIA is asking for additional research funding for the communications sector, arguing that the United States ranks only fifth in the world in terms of R&D as a percentage of gross domestic product.
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