Enacted by the 104th U.S. Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton on 8 February 1996, the Telecommunications Act is a rewrite of the Communications Act of 1934 and the first major U.S. telecommunications overhaul in six decades. It required incumbent carriers to interconnect with competitors, let Regional Bell Operating Companies enter long-distance markets, deregulated cable-telephone crossover, loosened media-ownership caps, and included the Communications Decency Act, most of which was later struck down, while preserving Section 230's platform-liability shield.
Facts
Promulgated ByUnited States Congress, 104th Congress, signed by President Bill Clinton; implemented by the Federal Communications Commission 2 Jurisdiction ScopeUnited States federal, telecommunications, cable and broadcast industries 2 Regulatory Domain Classification
Legal Status Jurisdiction Scope
Jurisdiction Scope (category) Era
Era (category)20th Century (1900-1999) 2 FAQs
What did the Telecommunications Act of 1996 change?
It rewrote the 1934 Communications Act and opened telecommunications markets to competition.
Signed on 8 February 1996, it rewrote the Communications Act of 1934. It required incumbent carriers to interconnect with competitors, let Regional Bell Operating Companies enter long-distance markets, deregulated cable-telephone crossover, and loosened media-ownership caps.
What happened to the Communications Decency Act inside the 1996 Act?
Most of it was struck down, but Section 230 survived.
The Telecommunications Act included the Communications Decency Act, most of which was later struck down, while Section 230's platform-liability shield was preserved.
Connections
Associated With
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 is a major amendment to the Communications Act of 1934.
Source Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Wikipedia)
The 1996 Act amended the Communications Act of 1934.
Established By
The FCC implements the Telecommunications Act of 1996 through Administrative Procedure Act notice-and-comment rulemaking.
In Legal System
United States federal statute, within the common law tradition.
Source Major Legal Systems in the World TodayRene David and John E.C. Brierley
Sources
1. Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Wikipedia)
Lead section
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.
In Group: Communications and Telecommunications Regulation, Introduction, sentence 3
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.
View the Source2. Telecommunications Act of 1996 (First Amendment Encyclopedia, Middle Tennessee State University)
First Amendment Encyclopedia, Middle Tennessee State University
Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead section
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.
- Associated With: Communications Act of 1934
Major Legal Systems in the World Today
Rene David and John E.C. Brierley, Stevens and Sons, 1985In Legal System: Law of the United States
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