Host it has been 20 years is Telecom Legislation has been passed were here do discuss the 1996 telecom act of the two members to read instrumental. For representative the republican from texas chairman of the house energy and commerce subcommittee with the 1996 telecom act was passed and now senator markey democrat from massachusetts was the Ranking Member at that time. What did you get right . Bin and we reinvented the wheel for all intents and purposes not one hand not one home in america have broadband. Today for a 12 yearold boy or girl they think is a constitutional right to have a 50inch screen in their living room before the act passed we were in the dialup world we had to move to new digital so it was of a digital freeforall. Sole 02 telescope the timeframe to create the capacity that all these new companies so words like group google and you too are impossible to be created so we got a lot right but nothing was perfect but one thing we did do took the world from analog to digital and now youre using the words that were created including twitter that would not be possible. Also what we got right is we collaborated with the strong friendship, as he did with other members of the committee. With a sincere desire in with that legislation passed in 1934 like Smoke Signals so with a historic opportunity not only as members budget talk with members of the industry not only where their world was but been the goal was to root take away the lines of demarcation in by unleashing those Competitive Forces to create that investment needed to bring us to the world today. But now looking at this we tried not to pick winners and losers. One of the goals of the legislation how low do you do that legislatively . What we did to telephone and longdistance we had everyone say to us we dont mind if we have a competitor if certain things are done so we had the checklist and they can get into the longdistance business and the cable guys could come compete. I will speak for the senator but to have more competitors with more opportunity and the investment to the benefit of the average consumer in america. With paranoia inducing and to do that Cable Companies could not provide a full service and phone cannot provide cable so we had to break down all of the monopolies to say every company can do everything then go to it to. You dont know the losers except for the consumer that we would unleash. From that moment on, 1. 4 trillion went into the sector no longer the rotary dial telephone. And to get those services that is what changed the marketplace. We dont know if google would win or pets. Com but there were more winners than losers but jack and i in 1993 had already a partner with the democrats to be in control and a repast this law in 1994 the Telecommunications Act of 1994. It was killed in the senate and jack had decided with the most conservative congressman from texas among the most liberal to put it all aside and try to solve that as a problem. So when we reach 1995 ion the Ranking Member to flip their roles in what jack said to me we will keep the same partnership this is completely non ideological to take on monopolies to get the revolution up and running. And to brag about the process we would talk basketball every day in go in and sits on the floor. But also with others hint really had a Bipartisan Team meander stood how big it was. If we had begun this process in 1993 or 1994 it would be difficult to live so if you look back and let the recent history of major pieces of legislation to with the major piece of legislation about the future and they are across the capitol. With a very large effort that would deal the tremendous piece of legislation and spirit that passed 91 five. He may disagree but in regard to the checklist to make it more prescriptive with the interpretation of the fcc over a fairly short period of time. So to end up with the right result to leave the discretion realizing technology would be things we could not anticipate. But with that regard i would have suggested more prescriptive approach. I just want to go through this litany little more. The funding was great. Just so many members it is fantastic. But just amazing to clear the path to make this possible legislatively in a relatively short period of time. And to go down the line working on the house side so the bills for every computer would be paid for out of this bill to speed up the pace in which kids get the new skills sets. With that technological innovation in two o curve. But the largest Single Program with a history of our country. One thing to do differently i underestimated how much the phone companies would try to gobble each other up first in rather than trying to compete to spend the first couple years to do that. I think that would put a limitation with that innovation revolution in with that Competitive Companies in more than i have never done so before. May not have affected but in those new guys in to meet with bill gates is why are you here . Have you know, we exist . If we had more employment with the roar visionary but when we look back at which we would have pressed harder to get more input from some people that traditionally were not part of the discussions. Meanwhile on the east coast i representing howard at m. I. T. Media lab one of the leading philosophers. And on a weekly basis in terms that are explaining a company could be created if we move to all digital. We could have a revolution of the kids to reinvent though world if we give them the opportunity. And then to move to hold their interactive model to get much more control to a new burgeoning internet but end with a slow and understanding that gave more room for others to become household names because then they could move in but would have been done for by silicon valley. So with that net result isnt much different it is just the names of the billionaires are little different as they move into that space. I was extremely blessed to have a partner like ed markey. We trusted each other if we disagreed we were never disagreeable and had a laser focus to realize of a moment of opportunity and we had a real responsibility to push it over the goal. Again that technological nature do you think most members got it or do they trust your judgment . I do believe there was more trust it is sold whole new world. And with a fax machine is almost unimaginable before i walked around with the device in my pocket equivalent to the supercomputer but we have it today. And i will say that the administration is great. They had a focus to make this a signature issue of their time in office. And then to try to decide to transform the whole planet because of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. B. C. Assyrian refugees with the eye phones to find where they will go next to see that communication across continents to the shade and information that wasnt available you can not fully understand of magnitude because were still at the dawn of the era. And then to make that possible on the bipartisan basis to take all that bitterness of politics of the system to create something that is still viable today. I wouldnt call it the Telecommunications Act today i would call liddy internet of things because that now has attenuated itself to the equivalent of city fracturing an automobile. We have the hearings on that. It is gratifying because of it was beyond the capacity to fully grasp what were doing. Of the everyday lives of everyone on our planet. Talk about substance. But its coming back to the process we should be complemented. He was one of our basketball buddies. Event in craig simon wed called the up with the direction that you want to go the Vice President will have the problem sometimes we agree and sometimes we wouldnt but it was that line of communication. And that we had to lead the senate but we have the ability to rooftop with each other and across the capitol when. And and this is what is missing with governing. With that 20th anniversary natalie about substance with those lines of demarcation. With a major segment at that time the Telecommunications Industry as part of the economy. And where we were prior to the 1996 act with those applications and how to improve their lives but we can unleash that competition they have no idea what that means for longdistance [laughter] 20 years out and it is time to update the act . Were at a crossroads where we want to leave things fairly open so they could be interpreted. Honestly there are some areas where congress could come back to look at a much different dynamic in paradigm than the 1996 but it is possible it will last longer. It was the future if it is the future today. The 1996 act will be the future of the future. It to works. It is still a jobcreating engine. In to access any thing anywhere any time. 62 of all Venture Capital went to startups. So this is a creating job engine for our country and then to continue to make sure everyone has access but at the end of the day that fundamental structure if every company can do everything to protect new entrants as well as the old it will continue to make america number one. You could make that statement because we didnt try to pick winners or losers we focused on what was best for the individual and i have always been proud the way we conducted ourselves and obviously we stayed your. You pull out to wireless devices how is that addressed in 1996 . Did you perceive that explosion . What we did in 1993 we moved over to the megahertz of spectrum but in 93 there were to sell phone companies in america there was an analog in the kind that gordon gekko talks into with wall street. So all of the others were created so than the price to drop to under 0. 10 a minute they were Walking Around with this. With 96 backed as we bring video and voice and data at together, we are creating the conditions whereby steve jobs can further innovate which you cannot imagine will happen although in my own mind its i imagined the dick tracy actually the apple watch is part of that but people right now are listening to the show and looking at there i found at the same time. I am proud of that i look forward to the day were young people never looked up again to just look down but it was the goal. I would talk about the dick tracy in the hearings so we could envision a world to change wireless. He will not ride on himself but what he did in terms to make spectrum available it was a tremendous Revenue Source for the federal government but if you dont have spectrum you cannot create the new technologies you dont have the applications that sounds simple but it was a major accomplishment it was in the 96 act but over a period of years with the Telecommunications Subcommittee the full Energy Commerce committee we developed relationships outside of the basketball court, the french ships but also inside the committee be operated as a team whether democrat or republican majority, we respected each other, worked with each other and always focused on the solution and the common good for the public. I feel extremely proud of the process. Host to feel the subsequent fcc has been good stewards of the legislation . [laughter] this is where we disagree. With some of the administrations i think back five bring up that word prescriptive but we come to a the crossroads do we take that approach to our leaving open with more discretion . I think we made the right policy decision. Idle disagree with everything publicly. When al gore recommended the chair of the fcc was a great appointment because he understood the spirit of the lot and was created and required to create a real revolution and he did. Writeup through today at the very last moment it was voted out by that fcc the last line from 20 years ago to open up the set top box that people use on top of the cabletv set right now 99 percent of america is renting them from the company. Just like the rotary dial phone. The fcc will open it up and that will save consumers about 16 billion a year just if you go to best buy to buy a box that they can buy telos open of technology and how that works while preserving copywriter the cable industry and of privacy rights of citizens but now that device can be opened so that rulemaking is now hearing testimony and i am proud that will be an amendment that i added from 1995 to that bill and the last piece of Bipartisan Legislation to be completed on the 96 act that will actually i think further accelerate the changes to begin this entire era. Senator, given how Fast Technology is moving to day and you were on the commerce committee, said do you see areas where further legislation could be used . We have to set aside more spectrum for whitefly and there is a lot of work we can be doing to understand this internet and how it creates new shoes. Right now for example, the kid with the i can take over the controls of your automobile. It is a digital vehicle. 60 minutes has done a story on this side did a report on this called hacking and tracking how people can use Digital Access with these new products and create havoc and congress has a role to make sure each industry responds to what has been made possible by the digital revolution. The drone revolution . We need new policies and for safety. But technology themselves does not have value but congress is to build into those historic values of our society so that is a challenge because and Technology Says stay away but the job of congress is to make sure that Technology Service that effort. To keep that code completely secret so that it does not jeopardize the security of every other iphone in the United States or the world. We have to find a balance here. Bill gates is now taken that position a position which i have taken and sam cook is on the other side but i think again its a debate that we have to have because otherwise many of these devices can be used for nefarious purposes. In many ways the theres a dickensian quality. Its the best of technology and worst of technologies simultaneously. You can enable and noble, can create interface that we have to decide what values we are going to get to it and in this case i think there is a good middle ground that can be reached. Host final comments . Guest you asked earlier about regrets. Sometimes i regret not being in Public Office to be able to continue in any telecommunication policy. Those were the best four years of my life. Not only do we have a personal friendship in a relationship but we really felt that we were doing something for the country. I miss that. Guest can i say the same thing. We have a special special time to really create and historic change in our country and on the planet and for me to have jack be my buddy and we were doing it all day long every single day. We play basketball every day for one hour and typically while we were supposed about talk about policy while the endorphins were flowing we would just sit there and keep trying to work out the differences so we could get it done and so we are just the best of friends then and now. Host senator Edward Markey and former represent jack feels republican of texas, to top members of congress who worked on the 96 telecom. Guest thank you