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TeleCONSENSUS - About Us

In October 2004, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce released its study—Sending the Right Signals: Promoting Competition Through Telecommunications Reform—one of the most comprehensive analyses ever conducted of the telecommunications industry.

The study examines how regulatory uncertainty creates barriers to investment and hinders the development of new technology; and makes six recommendations to improve the overall telecommunications regulatory system, each of which is supported by a macroeconomic analysis.

To facilitate implementation of the study's recommendations and to educate Congress and the public about the benefits of an economically robust telecommunications system, the U.S. Chamber has formed TeleCONSENSUS—a coalition comprised of trade associations, chambers of commerce, telecommunications providers, equipment manufacturers, businesses, and consumers.

TeleCONSENSUS seeks to update the laws and regulations that govern the telecommunications industry in order to create jobs, foster innovation, and grow the U.S. economy.

The core activities of TeleCONSENSUS include:

Policy Expertise - Providing leadership from the foremost industry experts in the field of telecommunications.
Advocacy - Conducting face-to-face meetings with members of Congress and federal agency representatives.
Education - Generating fact sheets, hosting meetings, producing advertising, and working with news media to educate Congress and the public about specific technology issues.
Grassroots - Utilizing the most advanced outreach tools in concert with coalition members and leaders to achieve maximum distribution and effectivenss of the coalition's message.

The coalition's efforts will be guided by the following six principles:

Federal telecommunications laws must be updated to foster innovation, expand consumer choice, spur investment, create jobs, enhance efficiency, and increase productivity.
Telecommunications markets should be driven by consumer demand, advances in technology, and competition between telecommunications companies, while encouraging public safety, consumer protection, and access for people with disabilities, as well as other public interest goals.
Universal service, which ensures affordable basic telephone service for all Americans and Internet access in the nation's schools and libraries, is an important national commitment and must be preserved.
Government should not burden consumers with discriminatory or excessive telecommunications taxes, nor should obsolete regulations limit Americans' access to innovative services and choices.
Consumer choice and private-sector investment should drive the deployment of high-speed Internet access into our communities.
Additional spectrum should be allocated for innovative wireless services.