ABSTRACT
During the last three decades United States (US) telecommunications policy has undergone a transformation. Prior to that time, government regulation separated the telecommunications industry into technologically distinct niches. The telephone and cable television industries were treated as natural monopolies and subject to public utility style regulation. In contrast, the broadcasting and data processing industries were allowed to engage in marketplace competition. Whether treated as monopolies or competitive enterprises, however, the various sectors of the telecommunications industry were barred from directly participating in each other’s markets.
