Economic Impacts of the 1996 Telecommunications Act

From arguments on opening competition to standards for price regulation, the 1996 Telecommunications Act explicitly roots many of its provisions in discussions of economic markets, economic forces, and economic impacts. Although policy and regulation largely work through impacts on economic markets, and there is a long tradition of economic research on policy and regulation, the Act held forth the promise of substantial changes in telecommunications markets and economics. The articles gathered in this special issue address matters related to the lifting of many ownership restrictions, both within industries and markets, and across markets. They provide a good early examination of the impacts of the lifting of ownership restrictions in the 1996 Telecommunications Act.