INFORMATION AND TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEMS 602
Regulation and Policy for Communication Networks
Fall Quarter 2011-2012
Call #13630
Instructor:Dr. Phyllis Bernt
Office: Lindley Hall 296
Phone: 593-0020
E-mail:
Office Hours:3-5 Monday through Thursday, and by appointment
Course Web Site:
Reading Materials:
Sterling, Bernt, and Weiss, Shaping American Telecommunications,Rahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2006.
Additional class materials are available through the course website; the course password is required. Other materials may be added as needed during the quarter.
Class Meetings:
1:10 – 3:00 p.m.Monday and Wednesday; and 9:10 – 10:00 a.m. Friday
We will meet on Fridays as needed. I would like to reserve Friday sessions for review, catch up days, exams, and individual meetings. Class meetings are in Lindley 298.
Objectives:
This course is an introduction to the major theoretical and legal issues and controversies that have shaped the telecommunications and information industries. The focus of the class is on U.S. regulation and policy from the development of the telegraph industry to the present situation. We will analyze the issues of anti-trust, common carrier regulation, and public utility law and will study their impact on the development of the telecommunications and information industries. We will discuss various methods of regulation and will examine the movement away from monopoly to competition. After taking this course, you should be able to demonstrate the ability to:
- explain the pros and cons of regulation in general and of specific regulatory options
- explain and analyze the progression of telecommunication regulation in the US through its various stages
- explain and analyze the principles behind monopoly markets and competitive markets
- analyze the pros and cons of universal service policy
- discuss possible future directions for regulation given the development of new technologies and new services.
Attendance:
Class attendance is required. This is a graduate course, and, as such, students are expected to be active participants in the course and in their own learning. Students are also expected to come to class on time.
Academic Misconduct:
The OhioUniversity code of student conduct, as outlined in theGraduate Catalog, prohibits any form of academic dishonesty, cheating or plagiarism. Students are encouraged to review this section of the Catalog and to be aware that such action can result in a failing grade, or even in expulsion, depending on the seriousness of the offense.
In-Class Conduct:
Students are expected to come to class prepared to participate and to behave in a professional manner. Do not read newspapers, have private conversations, or sleep in class. Be sure to turn off your cell phone and only use your laptop to take notes, not to browse the web or do email.
Intellectual Property:
The lectures, classroom activities, and all materials associated with this class and developed by the instructor are copyrighted in the name of Phyllis Bernt on this date, September 7, 2010.
Course Requirements:
Three examinations:3@100 points each 300 points
Two short papers: 2@50 points each100points
Total points550 points
Grading:
Grades will be assigned according to the following grading scale, translated into percentages:
90-92 / A- / 70-72 / C-
87-89 / B+ / 67-69 / D+
83-86 / B / 63-66 / D
80-82 / B- / 60-62 / D-
77-79 / C+ / 59—0 / F
Attendance and class participation will also be considered in the final grade.
Readings available through the course website:
In addition to the assigned textbook, students are also responsible for the following articles and chapters:
Federal Communication Commission documents:
- Connecting America: The National Broadband Plan. March 16, 2010.
- FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, The Third Way: A Narrowly Tailored Broadband Framework, May 6, 2010.
- Austin Schlick, A Third-Way Legal Framework for Addressing the Comcast Dilemma, May 6, 2010.
- FCC’s Open Internet Report and Order (“In the Matter of Preserving the Open Internet, Broadband Industry Practices,” GN Docket No. 09-191, WC Docket No. 07-52, Released December 23, 2010.)
U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division document:
- U.S. vs. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Deutsche Telekom, AG, Complaint, August 31, 2011.
AT&T, CenturyLink, FairPoint, Frontier, Verizon, and Windstream, America’s Broadband Connectivity Plan documents (
- Joint Letter
- Attachment I, Framework of the Proposal
Harvey Averch & Leland Johnson. (1962). “Behavior of the firm under regulatory constraint,” The American Economic Review, 52, 1052-1069.
Krishna Jayakar. (2009). “Universal service,” in . . . and Communications for All: A policy Agenda for a New Administration, Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, pp. 181-202.
Douglas Jones & Edwin Rosenberg, “Utility Restructuring and Unnatural Acts,” Fortnightly’s Spark, February 2008.
John Meisel & Michael Needles (2005).“Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) development and public policy implications,” Info, 7 (3), 3-15.
Vicusi, Vernon, and Harrington (2000), Economics of Regulation and Antitrust, 2nd Ed., The MIT Press, Chapters 1 and 2.
Schedule of Class Meetings:
Wednesday, September 7:Introduction to the course
Friday, September 9:We will not meet; you need to start reading
Monday, Sept 12:Setting the stage for the issues:
Read,Connecting America: The National Broadband Plan,
Executive Summary, AND Introduction, AND Goals for High Performance, ANDCurrent State of Broadband
AND Read “Government Sues to Block AT&T, T-Mobile Merger (
Wednesday, Sept 14: Read “Chapter 1: Introducing Telecommunications” of Shaping American Telecommunications AND Read Chapters 1 and 2 of Economics of Regulation and Antitrust
Friday, Sept 16We will meet for further discussion
Monday, Sept. 19:Early history: from monopoly to competition and back to monopoly
Read “Chapter 2: Telegraph to Telephone,” and “Chapter 3: Era of Competition”
Wednesday, Sept. 21:The era of Rate of Return Regulation:
Read “Chapter 4: Regulatory Monopoly” and look at “Behavior of the Firm under Regulatory Constraint”
Friday, Sept 23We will meet for further discussion
Monday, Sept. 26:And back to competition:
Read “Chapter 5: Competition Reappears”
Wednesday, Sept 28:Further discussion
Friday, Sept 30:First Exam
Monday, Oct 3:Issues of antitrust and changes to the industry:
Read “Chapter 6: Breaking Up Bell”; AND for a more recent example of anti-trust, also read U.S. vs. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Deutsche Telekom, AG
Wednesday, Oct 5:Further discussion
Friday, Oct 7:Paper regarding AT&T, T-Mobile complaint due
Monday, Oct 10:Read Chapter 7: “Operating Under the MFJ”
(Computer Inquiries, incentive regulation)
Wednesday, Oct. 12:Still more discussion of Chapter 7 (International telecommunication issues)
Friday, Oct. 14:New technologies:
Read “Chapter 8: Innovating New Services”
Monday, Oct 17:Read Genachowski and Schlick regarding “The Third Way” and look at the FCC’s Open Internet Report and Order
Wednesday, Oct. 19:Read“VoIP: A debate over information service or telephone application in the US”
Friday, Oct. 21:Second Exam
Monday, Oct 24:The Telecommunication Act of 1996: Major Changes Yet Again
Read “Chapter 9: 1996 Act and Aftermath”
Wednesday, Oct 26:More discussion of Chapter 9
Friday, Oct 28:Read “Universal service”
Monday, Oct. 31:Read Chapters 8 and 9 of the Connecting America: the National Broadband Plan
Wednesday, Nov 2:Read American Broadband Connectivity Plan’s Joint Letter
AND Framework of the Proposal
Friday, Nov 4Further discussion
Monday, Nov 7:Paper regarding the NBP and Universal Service
Wednesday, Nov 9:Read Chapter 10: “Meltdown and the Future” AND read Jones and Rosenberg, “Utility Restructuring and Unnatural Acts”
Friday, Nov 11Veteran’s Day; University closed.
Monday, Nov 14:More discussion of Chapter 10 and wrap up.
Thursday, November 17, at 2:30 p.m.: Third Examination
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