Quinn for Illinois

Yesterday, the Governor signed a bill updating our 25-year-old telecommunications law. The new regulations will create thousands of jobs, update consumer protection, and encourage investment in broadband and wireless technology across the state.

As more and more Illinoisans rely on cell phones and the Internet, the new law updates regulation, helping telecom companies shift their investment from land lines to wireless and broadband technologies. The Brookings Institute estimates that a 1%-3% increase in broadband penetration will create 13,000 to 39,000 non-farm jobs in the state.

The law also protects those who rely on land lines, opening up new low-cost packages and increasing penalties on service providers that violate service standards.

The Governor action on this issue was lauded by Doug Whitley, the President and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, who said, "Today, we're here really to thank and praise the governor, who I think is on a roll,...These are the kinds of positive signs that many of us look for every day from our government..."

His full remarks and video from the bill signing below: