ABSTRACT

Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Telecommunications Policy Research Conference (TPRC), this volume begins with a historical survey of a quarter-century of TPRC meetings as one measure of change in and research about the telecommunications industry. Additional papers reflecting the ongoing pace of change in technological, economic, and policy issues are organized around four topics:

* economic analysis of local and international telephone policy;

* media industry studies including video competition, guidelines for children's educational television, and the setting of AM stereo standards;

* applications and policy regarding the Internet; and

* comparative studies in telephone and satellite policy.

Collectively, the contents of this volume assess key issues for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners. Research reported in this volume illustrates the continually expanding scope of scholarly concerns about the telecommunications and information industry and contributes to further policy research and analysis.

part I

Historical