Contends that large telecommunications users and state commerce and defense interests are served well by the AT&T divestiture, but that the traditional recipient of universal service will suffer. (MS)

The press of telecommunication technologies and their progeny have undermined the natural monopoly basis for long distance telecommunications and customer premise products, forced open regulatory doors, toppled barriers to market entry, and led to the reshaping of regulatory philosophy as regulators have seen new, wider horizons for the industry.…

Analyzes the communications policy review process since the 1960s, encompassing task forces, Congress, and the Federal Communications Commission. Concludes that the process "has been doing little more than seeking a means of negotiating the conflicting needs of the major industrial interests already in control of most aspects of American…

This bulletin outlines the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) responsibilities in regulating the interstate and foreign common carrier communication via electrical means. Also summarized are the history, technological development, and current capabilities and prospects of telegraph, wire telephone, radiotelephone, satellite communications,…

This bulletin reviews early federal regulation of telegraphy, telephone, and radio communications, and the development of the Radio Acts of 1912 and 1927, the Communications Act of 1934, and the Communications Satellite Act of 1962. A large portion of the discussion focuses on the regulatory power and procedures of the Federal Communications…

Describes the nature and operations of Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDN). Argues that while Western European nations have advanced centralized planning for the introduction of ISDN, the United States is proceeding slowly because of a lack of universal standards and the state of deregulatory policy. (MM)

Discusses organizational growth in communications in the context of technological innovation and institutional evolution. Notes that firms are conglomerating and elaborating their administrative structures. Focuses on these trends and how they affect the telecommunications community and the interdependent actions of government and business firms.…

Discusses federal regulation of cable television. Topics addressed include Congressional legislation; Federal Communications Commission (FCC) guidelines; pricing; conflicts between broadcasters and the cable industry; the telephone industry's entrance into the cable market; and possible effects of regulatory changes on educational television. (LRW)

A staff paper to the President's Task Force on Communications Policy examines the feasibility of a domestic communications satellite system. Although, with expected technological advancement, satellites may play a significant role in domestic transmission and are economically feasible right now, a number of remaining questions make the…

The rapid growth of data communications and remote-access computing has outpaced the ability of industrial organizations to adapt to change, and at the same time has outpaced the ability of government policy making organizations to guide the evolution of this new technology. This book focuses on a number of important issues awaiting resolution by…

Examines various approaches to establishing nationally available videotext systems, in which text and graphics are offered to a mass audience on television screens with keypad converters. Asserts that a successful approach creates a hybrid between the competitive approach found in the United States and a state-encouraged system. (MM)

The second part of a staff paper to the President's Task Force on Communications Policy dealing with the domestic telecommunications carrier industry consists of the final two appendices. In the first, the history, structure, present services, and future plans of the Western Union Telegraph Company are discussed. Evidence is given that by allowing…

Examines telephone caller identification (caller-I.D.) and Automatic Number Identification (ANI) technology and discusses policy and privacy issues at the state and federal levels of government. A comparative analysis of state caller-I.D. adoption policies is presented, caller-I.D. blocking is discussed, costs are reported, and legal aspects of…

A staff paper to the President's Task Force on Communications Policy reviews the organization of the American international communications industries and recommends a consolidation of the competing international carriers. Particularly emphasized is the competition and division of ownership between the two technologies involved in international…

The final report of the President's Task Force on Communications Policy recommends strengthened federal powers to form public policy in telecommunications. Such planned policy would enable the private sector to reach its full capacities in the field by improving regulation when it is necessary and removing unnecessary regulation. Monopoly of…