US Telecommunications Today, October 2002
by
Nicholas Economides*
October 2002
Abstract
This chapter examines the current conditions in the US telecommunications sector (October 2002). We examine the impact of technological and regulatory change on market structure and business strategy. Among others, we discuss the emergence and decline of the telecom bubble, the impact on pricing of digitization and the emergence of Internet telephony. We briefly examine the impact of the 1996 Telecommunications Act on market structure and strategy in conjunction with the history of regulation and antitrust intervention in the telecommunications sector. After discussing the impact of wireless technologies, we conclude by venturing into some short term predictions. We express concern about the derailment of the implementation of the 1996 Act by the aggressive legal tactics of the entrenched monopolists (the local exchange carriers), and we point to the real danger that the intent of Congress in passing the 1996 Act to promote competition in telecommunications will not be realized. We also discuss the wave of mergers in the Telecommunications and cable industries.
Forthcoming, Handbook of IS Management (2003).
*
Stern School of Business, New York, NY 10012, tel. (212) 998-0864,
fax (212) 995-4218, e-mail:
neconomi@stern.nyu.edu,
www:
http://www.stern.nyu.edu/networks/
in Acrobat format. If you do not have an Acrobat reader, you
can download it free from Adobe.
