Tom Harkin: “I support the long-term goal of this legislation to deregulate the telecommunications industry in this country and to…”

“I support the long-term goal of this legislation to deregulate the telecommunications industry in this country and to bring vigorous competition to these markets. We can all envision the intended results in the not-too-distant future. The Bell companies, cable companies, long distance companies, all competing at a local level offering a wide variety of services--video, telephone, cellular, personal communications. All of these services will be offered in a vigorously competitive atmosphere where the companies are bending over backward to give the best and most innovative service for the dollar. In the coming competitive environment after the lifting of regulations and the modification of final judgment, a business, for example, could call up one company and arrange for that company to provide local telephone service as well as long distance service at one low price, with only one vendor to deal with. But the fact is, in some areas, including in parts of my State of Iowa, these combined services exist now.”