Rep. Cubin (R-Wyo.) reintroduced bill (HR-496) to deregulate smal...

Rep. Cubin (R-Wyo.) reintroduced bill (HR-496) to deregulate small telcos serving fewer than 2% of nation’s access lines. Similar bill (HR-3850) passed House last year and is being backed in Senate this year by Sen. Burns (R-Mont.). Cubin said FCC has promised to address question of whether its regulations are too cumbersome for small telcos, but “the agency’s time frame on issuing those proposed rules has changed like the Wyoming wind. It’s time those obligations are met, and this legislation would solidify what the FCC has promised to do for a long time.” She said she has “bent over backwards to accommodate many of the initial concerns that some members had with this legislation and have incorporated a majority of their helpful suggestions.” Cubin said she looks forward to FCC’s “thoughtful suggestions as well as their own internal changes.” Initial co-sponsors for her bill are Reps. Gordon, Pickering, Barrett. House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.) expressed support for Cubin’s efforts, saying she’s dedicated to “establishing regulatory common sense for small and mid-size telecommunications companies.” He said bill is “entirely consistent” with his own efforts to restructure FCC.