One hundred new things for the FCC to do

There are 3 major new pieces of communications legislation pending before Congress: 1. The Brooks-Dingell bill, which puts the RBOCs into manufacturing, long distance, and video but keeps them out of electronic publishing and alarm services, 2. the Markey-Fields bill, which puts the RBOCs into more video and open local exchange competition, and 3. Senator Hollings' bill that seeks to achieve all of the above. All these bills do is create a lengthy new "to-do" list for the FCC. The legislation favors industry activities that are already well established, business ventures that will materialize even without this legislation, and the ambitions of powerful industry forces arriving late to a lucrative industry.