A Birthday Party: The Terrible or Terrific Two’s? 1996 Federal Telecommunications Act

As we celebrate the second anniversary of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, we can see that the predictions of instant cross-industry competition that were made at its birth were rather euphoric. Despite the unexpected twists and turns of the first two years, there have been a number of significant market developments suggesting that the lowering of barriers that the Act effected have put things on the right course. However, the success of the Act will be rather fragile during the next few years, as it is subject to reversal by market as well as judicial forces. We should therefore continue doing what we have been doing and, rather than evaluating the Act’s success today, do so at its tenth birthday.

This speech was originally presented on April 6, 1998, at the Ohio Public Utilities Commission Conference on the Second Anniversary of the Telecommunications Act of 1996