The Telecommunications Act of 1996 is a United States federal law that was enacted to deregulate the telecommunications industry and encourage competition. The Act was the first major overhaul of telecommunications law in more than sixty years and it established a new framework for the regulation of telecommunications services. The Act also sought to
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 is a United States federal law enacted by the 104th United States Congress on January 3, 1996, and signed into law on February 8, 1996 by President Bill Clinton. It primarily amended Chapter 5 of Title 47 of the United States Code. Heavily supported and lobbied for by major corporations in the telecommunications sector, the act was the first significant overhaul of United States telecommunications law in more than sixty years. It amended the Communications Act of 1934 and represented a major change in that law, because it was the first time that the Internet was added to American regulation of broadcasting and telephony.