In the slightly over twelve years since its inception, computer-based instruction (CBI) has shown the promise of being more cost-effective than traditional instruction for certain educational applications. Pilot experiments are underway to evaluate various CBI systems. Should these tests prove successful, a major problem confronting advocates of…

There are several ways the telephone system may be used for opinion polling and public participation in discussions. The easiest method is individual call-ins to a series of different telephone numbers that each represent a different choice or vote. The only extra equipment needed here is a device that tabulates the total number of calls reaching…

Reviewing new phone and equipment fee policies after the AT&T divestiture, the author points out effects on school phone systems and budgets. (MD)

Northwest Iowa Power Co-op, Northwest Iowa Telephone, and MCI formed Pioneer Holdings to bring the latest telecommunications services to residents, schools, and businesses in rural Iowa. A half-dozen towns and co-ops have joined Pioneer, which gives customers access to all telecom services offered by MCI, as well as technical, regulatory, and…

This report summarizes the status of major educational telecommunications systems and plans in 16 western states as of early 1991. The information contained in this report was obtained from members of the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications, a membership organization working to strengthen the efficiency, impact, and quality of…

This document consists of 26 miscellaneous conference papers that consider various aspects of telecommunications policy, as follows: (1) "New Communications Systems and Services" (Baer); (2) "Regulatory Incentive Mechanisms and Political Action" (Baron); (3) "Efficiency Issues in Competitive Allocation of the Broadcast…

This dissertation examines the legislative, economic, political, and technological influences that have governed cable television (CATV) during the years of its existence. Separate chapters deal with the beginnings of CATV, the economics of CATV, the problems incurred in CATV franchising, and the relationship of CATV to the telephone common…

Forty-seven statements by industrial and business spokesmen, union and association representatives, and professors concern the broad impact of technological change on individuals, establishments, and society in general. Some of the longer presentations are (1) "The Poverty and Unemployment Crisis," by Walter Buckingham, (2) "Technological…

The web of relations among present and prospective changes in information systems provides a background against which public policy on information and telecommunication can be assessed. Telecommunication networks, broadcast regulation, and private line services all provide resources for news dissemination to the public. The costs, prices, and…

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)

This article explains the benefits, technology, and future associated with optical fibre transmission systems in the telecommunications networks of western countries. (Author/SA)

These two articles explore the arguments for and against the liberalization of natural monopolies in general and the privatization of the telecommunications industry in particular. The discussion covers the reasons for and consequences of deregulation of telecommunications in the United States, United Kingdom, and other Western European countries.…

The telecommunications sector is characterized by massive structural changes due to changes in technology as well as in the regulatory environment. Research and development activities become more and more important for the development of the industry as they determine the competitive position of firms and nations to a large extent. Both the…