science

Telecommunications policy of the United States

Telecommunications policy of the United States is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Telecommunications policy of the United States rather than just read about it. In short: The telecommunications policy of the United States is a framework of law directed by government and the regulatory commissions, most notably the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Two landmark acts prevail today, the Communications Act of 1934 and the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

Key takeaways

Telecommunications policy of the United States belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Telecommunications policy of the United States to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Telecommunications policy of the United States from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The telecommunications policy of the United States is a framework of law directed by government and the regulatory commissions, most notably the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Two landmark acts prevail today, the Communications Act of 1934 and the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The latter was intended to revise the first act and specifically to foster competition in the telecommunications industry.

Aims In the name of public interest, a large proportion of telecommunications policy is concerned with the economic regulation of interstate and international communication. This includes all communication by radio, telephone, wire, cable and satellite. Telecommunications policy outlines antitrust laws as is common for industries with large barriers to entry. Other features of the policies addressed include common carrier laws which controls access to networks. While the telephone providers are required to be common carriers, there is an ongoing net neutrality debate about the obligations of Internet service providers. Telecommunications policy addresses the management of government-owned resources such as the spectrum, which facilitates all wireless communications. There is a naturally limited quantity of usable spectrum that exists, therefore the market demand is immense, especially as use of mobile technology, which uses the electromagnetic spectrum, expands. One of the goals of the FCC is to best utilize this limited resource in such a way will bring about the "highest and best use". License to use spectrum was originally determined by committee, however, since 1993, it has been determined by an auction to assure that the licensee is both qualified and motivated to make best use of this commodity. For example, an FM station in Iowa was recently auctioned for $4,397,250. The famous American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) empire was once based on the concept that they had the duty and honor of serving the public people in return for their monopoly on the telecommunications industry. With the recent events of our world, such as the September 11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and others it has been deemed essential for National Security that a dedicated network with ample spectrum for crisis communication exist. The National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA) manages spectrum used by the Federal government such as air traffic control and national defense. The FCC is responsible for spectrum used by others, including individuals and public safety and health officials like police and emergency medical technicians.

Institutional framework in the U.S.

Independent Regulatory Commissions FCC, state PUCs (Public Utility Commissions) Delegation Doctrine: statutory authority quasi-legislative, executive and judicial functions Legislative role (delegation, oversight, budget) Executive role (appointment, budget) Judicial role (review commission decisions) The hallmark event in the history of the US telecommunication industry was the breakup of the Bell System into regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs) or "Baby Bells" in the early 1980s. The challenge since remains preserving competition and no longer allowing monopolies. There are a number of agencies concerned with telecommunication policy:

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Broadband deployment policy objectives The FCC derives its jurisdiction to facilitate the deployment of broadband to Americans in Section 706 in the Telecommunications act of 1996. In this section the code states that the FCC is to “encourage the deployment on a reasonable and timely basis of advanced telecommunications capability to all Americans.” They currently want to advocate the following objectives:

Broaden the deployment of broadband technologies Define broadband to include any platform capable of transmitting high-bandwidth intensive services Ensure harmonized regulatory treatment of competing broadband services Encourage and facilitate an environment that stimulates investment and innovation in broadband technologies and services

Wire line and wireless telecommunications policy Currently, the policy being set forth by the FCC has two different levels of regulation. One for fixed line, wire line communications and the other for wireless communications. Their current tenets strictly regulate network neutrality on wire line networks. However, the commission is placing as many mandates on wireless communications. This means that wireless telecommunications providers are not permitted to block any website, but they may block applications and services unless they are direct competitors to the provider's content or services. This difference between the two technologies creates a major loophole in telecommunications policy, as most providers have already begun the shift from wired to wireless network infrastructures.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Telecommunications policy of the United States

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Telecommunications policy of the United States claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Telecommunications policy of the United States before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Telecommunications policy of the United States ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Telecommunications policy of the United States

In research: Telecommunications policy of the United States appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Telecommunications policy of the United States in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Telecommunications policy of the United States is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics United States federal policy, United States telecommunications policy, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Telecommunications policy of the United States outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Telecommunications policy of the United States in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Telecommunications policy of the United States means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Telecommunications policy of the United States out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Telecommunications policy of the United States in simple terms?

Why does Telecommunications policy of the United States matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Telecommunications policy of the United States?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Telecommunications policy of the United States.