Special to WRAL Tech Wire

(Editor’s note: Now in its fourth year, the 12 Days of Broadband runs Dec. 4 through Dec. 19 highlighting a dozen innovations and stories directly impacted by the expanding reach of high-speed connectivity this year in North Carolina and throughout the country.)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Boy, how times have changed since 1996.

The information and communications technology sector has gone through dramatic changes since 1996. Today’s communications industry is a critical part of the economy, accounting for a large part of our economy in terms of GDP.

One year ago this month, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) announced the #CommActUpdate initiative to review and update the nation’s communications laws.

Upton and Walden recently commented on the committee’s progress this year.

“Written in a time when the telegraph was the prevailing technology and last updated when dial-up Internet was considered lightning speed, the Communications Act has not kept pace with the innovation that has been the hallmark of America’s technological leadership. We have made incredible strides, but we can be doing better,” said Upton and Walden on Dec. 4. “Over the past year, the committee has sought and received thoughtful public and stakeholder feedback on a variety of issues to inform our work moving forward. As that work continues, we will begin drafting legislation next year to update the law to better meet the dynamic needs of the 21st century.”

In a year, the committee has asked for and received public input through a series of white papers and held a hearing with former chairmen of the Federal Communications Commission to better understand their perspective on the law.

In January, the Communications and Technology Subcommittee kicked off 2014 with the arduous process to discuss what can be done to improve the laws surrounding the communications marketplace. The first white paper released Jan. 8 focused on broad thematic concepts and talked about ways to foster an environment for innovation, consumer choice and economic growth.

When the Communications Act was last updated to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, most could not have dreamed of the many innovations and advancements that make the Internet what it is today. Walden explained that the committee plans “to look at the Communications Act and all of the changes that have been made piecemeal over the last 89 years and ask one simple question: ‘Is this working for today’s communications marketplace?’”

The reference to “89 years” refers to 1934 when the first Communications Act was adopted creating many regulations still in existence today including the creation of the FCC and its regulatory powers. In 1934 when Congress passed the Communications Act, it was considered a minor piece of legislation bundled with the New Deal. The dominant technology was AM radio. In 1996, the legislation was updated – but at the time it barely had a mention of the Internet since we all were mostly using NetScape as our browser and there were only about 100,000 websites online.

“It’s time for our laws to reflect our modern technological landscape – one grounded in the networks and services of our past and driven by our IP and mobile future,” said Walden.

Chairman Upton noted that the changes in technology since the last update in 1996 have been dramatic and existing laws have failed to keep pace with the vibrant and dynamic telecommunications industry.

Former Chairman Richard Wiley cited his almost five decades in the telecommunications sector in explaining that history shows us innovation happens most when a light regulatory touch is applied. He suggested that the objective of a statutory rewrite should not be to legislate premised on the current state of the marketplace or even on predictions of what it may look like in the future. Instead, he concluded, Congress should consider a flexible and technologically-neutral framework that will be capable of adapting to technical invention and innovation, whatever it may prove to be.

Track the progression of this work on this website, or keep up with the latest news using hashtag #CommActUpdate.