Don't force investment in landlines

It's great to see major Illinois tech companies making a positive impact. Eric Peterson's recent article, "AT&T's commitment to Illinois strong, president says" noted a quarter of AT&T's statewide investment goes toward old voice-only telephone networks, despite the fact that 1,000 people in Illinois are dropping old landlines every single day.

This misdirected investment is due to unnecessary regulations that require the company to maintain outdated technology fewer and fewer people are using.

Illinois' telecommunications laws fail to recognize consumers are using modern landlines and mobile technologies, and according to this article, could be funneling as much as $250 million toward the upkeep of old landlines.

As a result, investment in communication technologies that create jobs and power state businesses is being impeded.

Basing policy on outdated landlines so few people use is a costly mistake. The good news? The Illinois General Assembly has the opportunity to update these laws this year, so our state has the chance to benefit from increased investment and catch up to Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and the majority of other states that have already updated their laws to reflect the newer technologies consumers and businesses overwhelmingly prefer today.

Lindsay Mullen

Executive Director of the Illinois Technology Partnership