Jack Fields: “this is a reregulatory dinosaur. Basic cable rates continue to be regulated under this bill. We deregulate expanded…”

“this is a reregulatory dinosaur. Basic cable rates continue to be regulated under this bill. We deregulate expanded basic in 15 months, when telephone will be competing with cable. But very importantly, in terms of competition with telephone companies, the only competitor in the residential marketplace will be the cable company. If you place regulations on cable, they will not be able to roll out the services so they can truly compete with telephone, which is what we want. It is a desired consumer benefit. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Markey cable re-regulation amendment. Today, we will hear from my friend from Massachusetts that there is not enough competition in the cable services arena and, therefore cable should not be deregulated. So one might ask, why would we want to limit one industry and place regulations which will prohibit cable from competing with the others? The checklist in title 1 envisions a facilities-based competitor which will provide the consumer with an alternative in local phone service. The cable companies are ready to be that competitor; however, they cannot fully participate in the deployment of an alternative system if they must operate under the burdensome regulations imposed by the 1992 cable act. The truth is that cable companies are facing true competition. With the deployment of direct broadcast satellite systems and telephone entry into cable, the competitors have come.”