A broad telecommunications bill recently passed by the Senate would act on two related fronts.

Of those 75, many did not speak English and only 3 had heard of the telecommunications bill.

Congress has yet to pass the telecommunications bill, which would allow the local and long-distance carriers to compete in each other's markets.

But a far wider concern about our commitment to free speech is raised by a provision of the telecommunications bill in Congress.

Fatter phone bills are not what Congress had in mind when it passed the sweeping telecommunications bill early last year.

"Connecticut is 18 to 24 months ahead of where most states will be if the telecommunications bill passes."

The telecommunications bill currently before the House would remove current ownership limits.

These lawmakers helped write "universal service" language into the 1996 telecommunications bill; some have gone even further.

The House of Representatives is expected to take up the telecommunications bill within the next few weeks.

The new requirement for a "choice chip" was included in a much broader telecommunications bill being debated by the Senate.