You Are Invited:

Northwest Telecommunications Forum

Friday, September 9th, 2005
1:00pm - 4:00pm
Seattle Center, Shaw Room
305 Harrison Street
Seattle, WA 98109

If you are interested in attending this forum, please RSVP by responding to this message or calling 1-425-640-0233.  Seating may be limited and will be available on a first come, first seated basis.

Dear Mr. KA3B:

As you may know, Congress last passed major telecommunications reform in 1996, a time when cell phones were only for the fortunate few, the Internet was just taking off, blackberries were found on a fruit stand, and most of the country had never sent an E-mail.

Since then, we have witnessed a revolution in the way Americans communicate and obtain information and entertainment.  Whether the connection is wireless, telephone, or cable, Americans increasingly have a larger variety of communications services offered over more networks. New broadband services and technological convergence make the 1996 telecom law more outdated every year.

Because telecommunications reform affects all of us, is my pleasure to invite you to attend the Northwest Telecommunications Forum, which I am sponsoring in Seattle with other members of the Washington House delegation. In light of a possible re-write of the nation's telecommunications laws, This forum will give Northwest residents and businesses the opportunity to discuss their interests in any possible legislative action.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee is likely to soon consider two issues: 1) the digital television transition; and 2) regulation of new broadband Internet Protocol voice and video services.  Accordingly, the Northwest Telecommunications Forum will divide relevant speakers into two panels to discuss the consumer, business, and regulatory concerns within these policy areas.

As a member of the Telecom Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which is the starting point for crafting any possible telecom reform measure, I want to make sure that the Committee's decisions will be of maximum benefit to our communities in the Pacific Northwest. We have the opportunity to create jobs, increase broadband access, and offer consumers a whole new array of services. It is my privilege to ensure that Washington citizens and businesses have a voice in this upcoming debate.

I look forward to seeing you at the Northwest Telecommunications Forum!

For more information about this event and a detailed agenda please visit:
www.house.gov/inslee/technology/telecom_forum.html

Awesome! Take detailed notes as we expect a full report.