Telecommunications Act of 1996

Definition

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 is a significant law passed by the U.S. Congress that aimed to deregulate the broadcasting and telecommunications markets, encouraging competition and innovation. It was the first major overhaul of telecommunications law in over sixty years, addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by emerging technologies at the time.

Related terms

Deregulation: The process of removing government restrictions and regulations in industries to allow for increased competition and innovation.

Broadband: A high-capacity transmission technique using a wide range of frequencies, which enables a large number of messages to be communicated simultaneously, often discussed in policies following the Act's focus on advanced telecommunications technologies.

Digital Divide: Refers to the gap between demographics and regions that have access to modern information and communication technology, and those that don't or have restricted access, an issue indirectly addressed by policies promoting telecommunications infrastructure development post-1996 Act