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The federal government can facilitate the development of the Global Information Infrastructure (GII). Policies developed for the National Information Infrastructure could also apply to the GII, with the added goal of internationalization of the telecommunications industry. Developing countries could also be assisted, as with the Telecommunications and Training Institute. Privatization can also be promoted, along with the elimination of regulatory and other obstacles.

A conference in 1994 addressed the future technological implications and telecommunications policy needs of disabled Americans. The technology has the potential to transform education, health care reform and welfare reform. Accessibility will become more important, and it should be built in instead of added on. More study of accessibility problems will be required. Access rights have been boosted by the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act.

Telecommunications policy is on the verge of a new age in technology. Progress occurs in video entertainment, personal computers, mobile services and convergence. The framers of the 1934 Communications Act addressed the needs of a simpler time, and new policy must consider future implications. Obsolete regulations must be dropped, for they can form obstacles to competition. New regulations should be simple and pragmatic.

Revision of the 1934 Communications Act should utilize precise standards and language. Contrary to the historical tradition of flexibility for common law, the new telecommunications environment requires predictability and firm categories to delineate regulatory power. For example, the National Information Infrastructure will come under the aegis of a new act and a newly authorized Federal Communications Commission.

An evangelical, Christian, anti-abortion, Republican, Congressional candidate notes the difficulty of placing TV ads which show aborted fetuses. Many stations complained to the FCC about having to run the ads in the 1992 campaign, and in 1994 some stations refused to run the ads. Others only would air the ads after 8PM. This political censorship shows that the media elites who manage TV stations can defy the law of reasonable access.

Bank regulation should be reformed to facilitate greater entry of banks into the telecommunications business. Telecommunications companies have penetrated the banking field with the services they provide, but banks are hindered in the telecommunications services that they could provide to customers. The current telecommunications regulatory regime is adequate to handle the influx of banks into the market.

The differing industry and government policies on the development of the information superhighway will have to be integrated into a coherent system. There are many different approaches to constructing the system, using wireless, cable, telephone and computer services. There is also differing legislation and a proposal by the Clinton Administration. Future regulation will have to deal with all aspects to maintain a level playing field.

An overview of the Brazilian telecommunications market and the government's efforts to regulate that market is presented. Some regulation is necessary to protect the country's inelastic market from monopolistic excesses, but the profitability of new telecommunications enterprises must be assured. Brazil's experience provides a case study on the ability of a regulatory fabric to meet market priorities and improve services., International case study: Brazil is booming, and its communications infrastructure is ripe with possibilities and pitfalls. The historical relationship between development and democracy is clear: Social and political turmoil go [...]

Canadian telecommunications policy needs to emphasize the presence of competition in the marketplace. There is a danger of formal recognition of competitors by regulators, with no appreciable benefits to consumers. One approach to encouraging competition is New Zealand's competition law which avoids regulation, but this is not likely to work in Canada. Rather, the regulatory scheme must embrace such active features as rate rebalancing.

The Iowa Communications Network is a state-built, 2,800-mile system which the telecommunication industry says is a typical government boondoggle. However, Vice-Pres Al Gore and consumer activists say deregulation of fiber systems will leave rural and inner-city customers unserved.

Telecommunication has become more important for industry, not only to improve performance and expand global markets but also to enhance competitiveness through innovative network management and use. Indeed, an efficient [...]

Competition in the telecommunications sector has created a bewildering array of different technologies for business to integrate itself with. Most businesses are beginning to learn the joint importance of organizing infrastructure and managing its use, but some industries have been slow to adapt their managing styles to take advantage of the speed and flexibility the technology can offer. The US government's decision to liberalize the industry has created opportunities for success, but has also made the market less flexible, as many incompatible systems of transmission now exist.

DAB THE FUTURE ACCORDING TO ABEL The National Association of Broadcasters has become the leading advocate for terrestrial digital audio broadcasting (DAB), a technology envisioned to completely replace AM and [...]

Priority Issues on the FCC's 1991 Agenda Regulation continues to have a profound influence on the telecommunications industry. This article discusses six matters of broad interest and importance that the [...]

After a long and successful first career in broadcasting, James Henry Quello joined the FCC 16 years ago and, in that span, has never forgotten his roots. Time and again, [...]

GOVERNMENT TANGLES TELEPHONE TECHNOLOGY Worldwide public telecommunication services are improving the life-styles of millions. But in the U.S., information service for the average consumer is little more than 'dial-a-joke.' Innovations [...]

WARS, ELECTIONS and indecency always have divided the American public. Those conservatives who consider much of radio and television broadcasting indecent--even pornographic--would limit the manners, music, dress, and language of [...]

Byline: _ Q:Kindly give some brief account of youself. A:I am a Director and CEO of Jaffer Business Systems a major IT company having HP Emersson Oracle Microsoft as its [...]

The revenues generated by the telecom operators in Pakistan have reached all time high at Rs 445.7 billion during 201213 as compared to Rs. 235.6 billion in 200607. The revenues [...]

Traditionally, government has chosen to leave the telecommunications business alone-at least as a direct marketplace competitor. While embracing active roles as regulator and policy director, it generally has opted away [...]

When the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was signed, it was extolled by both media and industry pundits, each hailing it as a piece of landmark legislation that promised to change […]

The boys in Bayou country talk about the Northerner who asked why alligators smile so wide. 'They not smilin', son,' explained the Cajuns. 'The just stretching their mouths so's they [...]

The Department of Commerce is working on developing a 'coordinated approach' to online intellectual property protection, cybersecurity, and open Internet policy, said Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker this week during an [...]