Anti Trust Laws in the COmmunications Industry

The Telecom Act: Beyond the Hype Politics is the art of the possible. By that standard, Congress deserves a pat on the back for passing the Telecommunications Act, after many years of trying. The new law is a step in the right direction. But it is not the deregulatory revolution that the victory bulletins emanating from Washington proclaim. This view is steeped in the belief that reality in the information sector is shaped by Washington …

…and more with herd psychology. Already it seems that any recent business deal is being credited to the new Act, as if media empire building has just been invented. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 is useful in cleaning up many accumulated problems of yesterday. It is far from revolutionary today. And its over-specificity will be a problem tomorrow. In the meantime, most of the promised jobs that will be created first will be those of lawyers.