For Immediate Release
January 11, 2006
Press Contacts:
Jamie Antcliff
CEDIA
317-328-4336
jantcliff@cedia.org
Joshua Hall
Publicis
joshua.hall@publicis-usa.com
(317) 639-5135, ext. 116
Largest U.S. Association of Residential Electronic Systems
Contractors Supports Indiana Senate Bill 245
CEDIA predicts growth and innovation
for home entertainment and automation with telecommunications reform
Indianapolis, Ind. – The Custom Electronic
Design & Installation Association (CEDIA), believes that consumers
and the Hoosier economy would benefit from technological advancements
in the delivery of broadband voice, video, and data when Senate Bill
245 is signed into law. CEDIA’s headquarters is located in Indianapolis
and its 3,000 member companies around the world specialize in the design
and installation of home networks, home automation and communications
systems, theater rooms, and whole-house entertainment systems.
Senate Bill 245, which is sponsored by State Senator
Brandt Hershman (R-Wheatfield), will modernize Indiana’s telecommunications
laws, including laws governing broadband Internet access and availability.
Indiana’s telecommunications laws have not changed since they
were introduced during the 1980s—before the Internet was part
of daily life and before homes included elaborate electronic systems,
such as home theaters, home networks, and automation.
“Many new consumer electronics products and systems
depend on broadband Internet technology,” said Darren Reaman,
public policy manager for CEDIA. “Efficiency in information and
entertainment content is essential to the growth of our industry. Senate
Bill 245 creates incentives for a better infrastructure and pricing
flexibility that will benefit CEDIA Members and the customers they
serve. This bill will also open the door to more growth and innovation,
which will bring or keep investments in Indiana’s economy that
would have gone elsewhere.”
Reaman said consumer electronics manufacturers would
develop even more products and CEDIA Members would have more innovative
design options in a deregulated environment. “Senate Bill 245
would be good for Indiana today and the advantages for new technologies
and broadband applications CEDIA Members haven’t yet developed
are endless.”
Co-authors on the bill include Senator Tom Wyss (R-Fort
Wayne), Sen. Lindel Hume (D-Princeton), and Sen. Earline Rogers (D-Gary).
House sponsors include Representatives Eric Koch (R-Bedford), Carolene
Mays (D-Indianapolis), and Dale Grubb (D-Covington).
CEDIA is an international trade association of companies
that specialize in designing and installing electronic systems for
the home. The association was founded in September 1989 and has more
than 3,000 member companies worldwide. CEDIA Members are established
and insured businesses with bona fide qualifications and experience
in this specialized field. CEDIA Members include residential electronic
systems contractors who have emerged as the “fourth contractor” in
the building and remodeling industries alongside electrical, plumbing,
and HVAC professionals. For more information on CEDIA, visit the association’s
Web site at www.cedia.org.
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