An Introduction to U.S. Telecommunications Law, Second Edition (Artech House Telecommunications Library)

This completely revised and updated edition includes a comprehensive look at the Telecommunications Act of 1996, its sweeping reforms, and the short-term increase in Tc regulation complexity resulting from its passage. An Introduction to U.S. Telecommunications Law, Second Edition is a concise, jargon-free reference describing how electronic media and telecommunications companies are required to price their services, interconnect with customers and other service providers, and respond to competition. Learn how the rapid advance of telecommunications technology has drastically altered regulations first developed when Tc meant fixed networks, copper wire and mechanical switches. Since this book first appeared, new telecommunications systems such as Internet telephony have greatly impacted telecommunications law in local, state, and national jurisdictions, and the new edition addresses these changes. Using simple case studies to show how courts and regulators affect business decisions, this convenient, single-volume source is indispensable for all telecommunications managers and enables members of corporate legal departments to learn more about regulatory and legal issues outside their areas of specialization. And in the wake of the passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, learn how decisions by the Fcc, state utilities commissions and federal courts have further complicated the regulatory clutter the Act was supposed to sweep aside.