TELECOMMUNICATIONS REGULATION, INTRODUCTION TO (2) (CIP260)

Professor Teresa Marrero

Provides an overview of telecommunications from traditional regulation of monopoly telephone companies through the recent deregulatory policies developed to foster merging and emerging technologies. Analyzes the historical regulatory framework developed in a monopoly environment such as rate of return regulation, subsidy funding, and the breakup of AT&T into the "Baby Bells." Although covering the transitional regulatory approach to a competitive long-distance market and a monopolistic local telephone market, main focus is on the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and its implementation by the Federal Communications Commission, including (1) emergence of competitive access providers and the subsequent obligations of incumbent local telephone companies to open up their markets by interconnecting competitive providers and unbundling their networks; (2) requirements under which incumbent local telephone providers may enter the long-distance market; (3) requirements for removing any barriers to competitive entry; and (4) regulatory incentives to promote advanced telecommunications technologies. If time permits, also addresses international telecommunications issues of the World Trade Organization.