This communications Law Institute survey course encompasses the historical and contemporary treatment of telecommunications, including the telecommunications Act of 1996. Topics include the history and development of common carriers in general (carriers by water, carriers by rail); the development of communications common carriers (carriers by wire, i.e., telephone and telegraph); the emergence of common carrier regulatory theories and policies; telecommunications legislation; government intervention in the regulatory process; and the emergence of competition. A major component of the course includes the growth and composition of information processing and telephone/telecommunications industries, their increasing interdependence, and the evolving regulatory environment regarding this phenomenon. This component will also include a study of the FCC’s computer inquiry decisions, current legislative and judicial initiatives, and their anticipated impact on the information processing and telecommunications industries. Significant emphasis is placed on emerging wireless and broadband services. enrollment limited to 25 students. Noninstitute students may elect this course on a space-available. 

Upper-Level course for:

III. Antitrust and Trade Regulation
VIII. Communication Law and New Technologies