WPCA 2BJZ Courier3||x6X@`7X@HP LaserJet 5Si rm 826iptHPLAS5SI.PRSx  @\B$9GX@26EF%K3|| X-#Xj\  P6G;ynXP#Times New RomanTimes New Roman Bold"i~'^09CSS999S]+9+/SSSSSSSSSS//]]]Ixnnxg]xx9?xgxx]xn]gxxxxg9/9MS9ISISI9SS//S/SSSS9?/SSxSSIP!PZ9+ZM999+999999S9S/xIxIxIxIxIlnIgIgIgIgI9/9/9/9/xSxSxSxSxSxSxSxSxSxSxIxSxRxSxSxS]SxIxIxInInInZnIxigIgIgIgIxSxSxSxZxSxZxS9/9S999Su]ZZxSg/gCg9g9g/xSbxSxSxSxSxn9n9n9]?]?]?]ZgFg/gMxSxSxSxSxSxSxxZgIgIgIxSg9xS]?g9xSi+SS88WuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxN4%1' #|\  P6G;_P#Remarks Kpby Gloria Tristani Commissioner b Federal Communications Commission >to the  a<<2 Joint Session of the Puerto Rico Legislature #Xj\  P6G;ynXP#  XF- February 11, 1998  a/<TP#|\  P6G;_P#  XC - #|\  P6G;_P# #Xj\  P6G;ynXP#I. Personal Remarks #|\  P6G;_P#ѐTP  a6 <Xx[#Xj\  P6G;ynXP#Personal remarks included only in the Spanish edition of the speech.] (#  a@ <#|\  P6G;_P#  XJ-  #Xj\  P6G;ynXP#II. Overview of Current Telecommunications Issues in Washington  X3-TP xI would like to begin by giving you an update on telecommunications in Washington. Before I begin, though, I have to say that it feels a little strange to be giving the "inside the Beltway" perspective after being in Washington only three months. But looking back on  X-those three months, I feel like I've had to make about three years worth of difficult decisions. So from that perspective, I suppose I am qualified to offer you some "inside the Beltway" observations. xAny discussion of telecommunications in Washington begins with the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The Act celebrated its second birthday just last week, on  XM-February 8. Although the word "celebrated" may be too rosy a word endured would be  X6-more accurate.  The media have done searching evaluations of whether, at the twoyear mark, the Act has succeeded or failed. I would ask, "According to what?" If measured against the expectations that were raised when it became law, I'd say the Act has failed thus far. But expectations for this Act were unreasonably high. The communications industry, the media, and the public genuinely wanted to believe the Act was the final ingredient for a "great leap forward" into the Information Age. xIf the Act were measured against more realistic expectations, I would say it has been a modest success so far, and it is destined to be a great success. For better or worse, the success of the 1996 Act will be judged on local telephone competition. There is evidence that local competition is emerging. In 1997, new local phone companies increased their number of phone lines by 300 percent, from 500,000 toX` hp x (#%'0*,.8135@8: