[Governance] RECORDING - Telecom Act at 30: Universal Service as the North Star (Benton)

[Joly MacFie]

I got a couple of things from this 1) that in the 90s sausage making, the
word "internet' was taboo, because nominally it was still a DoD / NSF
project and thus would involve whole areas of government beyond telecom,
thus the euphemism "advanced networks' was used 2) that E-rate, which
provided many connections to schoold and libraries, only got funded because
(Later Trump AG) Bill Barr totally fumbled the ball in court, and 3) yes,
Al Gore was key.

Please note that ISOC LIVE recaps are now mirrored at
https://isoclive.substack.com/


[image: ISOC LIVE] <https://isoc.live/20296>

VIDEO
<https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlg8We3ePxcOa9iqDoBa3LbDo9lUNwA_H>
 | RECAP <https://www.patreon.com/posts/153570251/> | ARCHIVE
<https://archive.org/details/benton-telecom-act> | PERMALINK
<https://isoc.live/20296>

On March 5, 2026, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society
<https://www.benton.org/>  marked the 30th anniversary of the 1996
Telecommunications Act
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommunications_Act_of_1996> with an
event ‘Telecom Act at 30: Universal Service as the North Star
<https://www.benton.org/event/telecom-act-30-universal-service-north-star>‘
in Washington DC. Policymakers, advocates, academics, and industry leaders
convened to examine how the law, drafted at the dawn of dial-up internet,
codified the national commitment to universal connectivity. Participants
explored how the act has shaped today’s broadband landscape and what
universal service must mean in the next era of connectivity.

01 Introduction
Senator Al Gore & Lily Tomlin (video)
Revati Prasad – Executive Director – Benton Institute for Broadband &
Society
VIDEO <https://youtu.be/4Ih2UY7_Meo> | AUDIO
<https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/01_Introduction.mp3> |
RECAP EN
<https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/01_Introduction.EN.pdf> /
ES <https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/01_Introduction.ES.pdf>
 / FR
<https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/01_Introduction.FR.pdf>

02 Keynote Speaker – Ed Markey
Ed Markey – U.S. Senator, Massachusetts
VIDEO <https://youtu.be/hcna28d9O4g> | AUDIO
<https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/02_Ed_Markey.mp3> | RECAP
EN <https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/02_Ed_Markey.EN.pdf> /
ES <https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/02_Ed_Markey.ES.pdf> /
 FR <https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/02_Ed_Markey.FR.pdf>

03 How a Bill Becomes a Law
Katie King – Former Special Counsel, Federal Communications Commission
Chip Pickering – Chief Executive Officer, INCOMPAS
Gina Keeney – Founder, Keeney Consulting
John Windhausen Jr. – President, Telepoly
Moderator: Andy Schwartzman – Benton Senior Counselor
VIDEO <https://youtu.be/tmOrP3QhT_Q> | AUDIO
<https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/03_How_a_Bill_Becomes_a_Law.mp3>
|
RECAP EN
<https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/03_How_a_Bill_Becomes_a_Law.EN.pdf>
 / ES
<https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/03_How_a_Bill_Becomes_a_Law.ES.pdf>
 / FR
<https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/03_How_a_Bill_Becomes_a_Law.FR.pdf>

04 Best Laid Plans
Rachelle Chong – Former Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission
Larry Irving – President & Chief Executive Officer, Irving Group
Jim Kohlenberger – President, JK Strategies
Christopher Wright – Partner, Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis LLP
Blair Levin – Policy Advisor, New Street Research
Moderator: Mignon Clyburn, Former FCC Commissioner
VIDEO <https://youtu.be/AHmokKQF4gU> | AUDIO
<https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/04_Best_Laid_Plans.mp3> |
RECAP EN
<https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/04_Best_Laid_Plans.EN.pdf>
 / ES
<https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/04_Best_Laid_Plans.ES.pdf>
 / FR
<https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/04_Best_Laid_Plans.FR.pdf>

05 Fireside Chat – Philip L. Verveer & Gigi Sohn
Philip L. Verveer – Former Deputy Assistant Secretary and Ambassador, U.S.
Department of State
Gigi Sohn – Benton Senior Fellow and Public Advocate
VIDEO <https://youtu.be/iMvOvizVnzk> | AUDIO
<https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/05_Philip_Verveer_and_Gigi_Sohn.mp3>
|
RECAP EN
<https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/05_Philip_Verveer_and_Gigi_Sohn.EN.pdf>
 / ES
<https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/05_Philip_Verveer_and_Gigi_Sohn.ES.pdf>
 / FR
<https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/05_Philip_Verveer_and_Gigi_Sohn.FR.pdf>

06 Conclusion
Revati Prasad – Executive Director – Benton Institute for Broadband &
Society
VIDEO <https://youtu.be/mmRb49BGmcY> | AUDIO
<https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/06_Conclusion.mp3> | RECAP
EN <https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/06_Conclusion.EN.pdf> /
ES <https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/06_Conclusion.ES.pdf> /
 FR <https://archive.org/download/benton-telecom-act/06_Conclusion.FR.pdf>


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Joly MacFie  +12185659365
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