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IRPS Hosts Telecommunications Workshop
IRPS Telecommunications Workshop
On April 4, the Institute for Regulatory Policy Studies (IRPS), housed in the Department of Economics, delivered a workshop to educate government officials, telecommunications regulators, and industry personnel on critical issues of telecommunications policy. The workshop titled “Illinois Telecommunications Act Rewrite 2005: Issues and Answers” was held at the Wojcik Conference Center at Harper College. Over 125 individuals attended. The workshop included panel sessions on “Technology, Convergence and Public Policy,” “Social Costs and Responsibilities in a Changing Marketplace,” “Municipal Broadband,” and “Roundtable of State of Legislatures.” "Because of the vital role that telecommunications plays in the information economy, it is essential that we get telecommunications public policy correct for the sake of the Illinois economy and Illinois jobs," said Dr. David Loomis, Associate Professor of Economics. "Public forums such as this workshop will help us design the best legislation possible."

 

With the Illinois Telecommunications Act due to sunset in June 2005, the workshop was held at a very critical time. Lawmakers are considering profound changes in technology and in the marketplace that have occurred since the last legislative revision. Equitable cost sharing arrangements must be put into place for social programs and responsibilities, and the proper role of government intervention in the emerging telecommunications marketplace must be considered.

The Institute for Regulatory Policy Studies, created in 1997, serves the electricity, natural gas, and telecommunications industries and the regulatory community. The Institute’s agenda includes education, communication, and research on policy issues of interest to consumers, regulators, and utilities in Illinois and throughout the nation.  


 
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