Douglas Alexander: “I rise in support of H.R. 5252. This legislation will permit us to move the video franchising process into the 21st…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 5252. This legislation will permit us to move the video franchising process into the 21st century. The concept of a national franchise is needed to make the U.S. concurrent with the global nature of telecommunications by enabling competition to enter the market and build tomorrow's communications network in a timely manner. There are more than 30,000 individual franchise authorities in the United States. If telecom companies have to negotiate with each and every one of these, it will be a very long time before they get around to addressing video franchises for rural areas such as the one I represent in Louisiana. Video competition will increase access for these rural Americans and drive new innovations like telemedicine and distance learning. We can greatly accelerate that process by creating a national streamlined method for video entry. Let us not miss this opportunity to allow the marketplace to thrive and usher in a new era in technology.”