Telecommunications
As a member of the Telecommunications and Internet Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Congressman Towns has fought to ensure technological innovations are developed and shared by all communities.
In the 107th Congress, Towns authored an amendment to H.R. 1542, the Internet Freedom and Broadband Deployment Act, which would ensure that inner cities and other underserved areas have access to high speed internet services. Bridging the digital divide is essential to ensuring that minority-owned, small business can flourish and that inner city schools can provide 21st century technology for students.
Last Congress, Congressman Towns also introduced H.R. 1034, NTIA Digital Network Technology Program Act, which would have established a digital network technologies program to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to institutions to provide educational instruction in digital network technologies. The assistance would be targeted for institutions that serve population groups who have not fully participated in the technological revolution such as African-Americans, Hispanics, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native-Americans.
This Congress, he has introduced H.R. 747 the Telecommunications Development Fund Improvement Act of 2003, which would make it easier to offer loans to start up technology and telecom companies in underserved areas. This would spur minority entrepreneurship in our inner cities, and could eventually lead to new, minority-owned technology businesses in our own neighborhoods. This legislation has been included as part of a larger bill that has already passed the Telecommunication and Internet Subcommittee and has been forwarded to the full House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Congressman Towns is also the lead Democratic sponsor of H.R. 1320, Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act that would enable wireless telephone companies to deploy advanced wireless services. The bill would re-locate federally owned spectrum to commercially designated areas and allow the wireless carriers to bid on the bands of spectrum currently held by the government at 110% of the projected value. By increasing the amount of commercially available spectrum, wireless phone consumers will enjoy groundbreaking technologies, such as Internet access over their cellular phones, and better service for their existing services.
Related Press Releases
10/31/2007
Rep. Towns Holds Hearing on Federal and State Health IT
10/15/2007
Rep. Towns Statement on the National Association of Broadcasters' DTV Consumer Education Campaign
9/4/2007
Congressman Towns'/Forbes' Digital Divide Bill Passes U.S. House
