The US Senate Commerce Committee approved the broad telecommunications reform bill at the end of last week and the full Senate must vote on the legislation, which has been amended significantly in recent weeks and is designed to replace the consent decree that has barred the Baby Bells from offering long distance phone service and manufacturing equipment, and allow local phone and cable companies to enter each other’s businesses; the bill must then be harmonised with two already passed by the House of Representatives – and the composite bill must go back to the floors of both houses, if there is time before the looming end of the session, otherwise the legislation will be lost, and new bills will have to be introduced in the next session.
