WASHINGTON, DC - House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) today welcomed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler’s announcement Tuesday calling for trials in the transition of traditional telephone networks to Internet Protocol.
Upton and Walden commented, “It is important for our regulatory framework to keep pace with advancements in technology. At our Communications and Technology Subcommittee hearing just a few weeks ago, we discussed the many innovations and possibilities that networks based on Internet Protocol will bring to American consumers and to our economy. There are certainly questions about this transition that will merit thorough evaluation, including how to ensure that emergency communications are supported and what this transition will mean for business and government users. But, we are confident that the commission will take those issues into account and we applaud Chairman Wheeler for adding this to the commission’s agenda."
