Communications Regulation

Since the last edition of the book was published, there have been a number of important developments in the telecommunications industry, for example the operational separation of BT in the UK, which may prove a model for the rest of Europe in dealing with incumbent operators, and the debate over "network neutrality" in the US, which is dominating the roll-out of the infrastructure.Telecommunications Law and Regulation is fully updated and contains new chapters on technology and markets, and capacity agreements. Other topics addressed in this new edition include the consequences of convergence within an EU and international context, including the blurring of conduit and content regulations; the implications of IP and Next Generation Networks; issues of communication privacy in the context of the "war on terrorism", and how these impact on the commercialoperations of service providers; the obtaining and trading of spectrum, with governments and regulators looking to fully exploit the"digital dividend"; and the application of ex post competition law to the sector, as governments attempt to deregulate competitive markets. The book examines all aspects of EU 2003regime; implementation issues, and the proposed reforms arising from the 2006 review.Written by leading experts in the field, it offers comprehensive coverage of the law and regulatory structures relating to telecommunications. It is essential reading for legal practitioners involved in the communications industry and of interest to management consultants, bankers and accountants who will need to be aware of the legal implications of this fast changing area. It is also a highly accessible and thought-provoking book for postgraduate study.

'Due to their economic characteristics and also to their consequences on many aspects of collective life, information networks have always been at the edge of regulatory innovations and at the center of policy debates. The contributors of this volume combine long term visions of the factors determining regulatory policies with up-to-date analyses of technicalities to be dealt with, to provide the reader with an extended understanding of the issues and constraints shaping the future of digital networks.' Eric Brousseau, Université Paris-Dauphine, France and the European University Institute, Italy Digital markets worldwide are in rapid flux. The Internet and World Wide Web have traditionally evolved in a largely deregulated environment, but recently governments have shown great interest in this rapidly developing sector and are imposing regulations for a variety of reasons that are changing the shape of these industries. This book explores why the industrial organization of broadband ISPs, Internet backbone providers and content/application providers are in such turmoil. The expert contributors straddle the turbulent past of the telecoms sector and also contribute to its exciting though unpredictable future via positive analysis of past communications policies, which is then utilized to deduce lessons to guide future policy making decisions. It is illustrated that broadband ISPs no longer simply provide a conduit for service delivery; they are also involved in producing content and transaction services themselves, in competition with content and delivery providers. The blurring of the traditional lines between these three sectors, as each enters into the others' markets, is highlighted. The conclusion is that we are witnessing the emergence of powerful, competing platforms, linked in complex ways that challenge traditional economic analyses. Exploring governance issues, regulation and investment, next-generation service markets and wireless communication, this book will prove a fascinating and illuminating read for scholars, researchers, post-graduate students and policymakers with an interest in ICT, technology and innovation, economics and industrial organization.

Since the last edition of the book was published, there have been a number of important developments in the telecommunications industry. Telecommunications Law and Regulation takes these changes into account, including an examination of the EU New Regulatory Framework, as well as the establishment of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC). There are also new chapters on spectrum management (radio frequencies), and consumer protection rules. The access and interconnection chapter addresses the issues surrounding the high capacity broadband widely provided by Next Generation Networks.The chapter on licensing and authorisation has been refocused to reflect the increasing regulatory focus on the mobile sector. The chapter on regulating content has also been significantly restructured and revised to reflect the changes in how we consume content. Written by leading experts, it is essential reading for legal practitioners and academics involved in the telecommunications industry.

Medical Law and Ethics provides coverage of the major topics of medical law and ethics, combining detailed legal exposition and analysis with moral theory and philosophy. This book considers the wider contextual pressures facing the law such as the impact of market forces and patient consumerism, political interests, medical and professional interests, changing perceptions of medicine, developing technologies, and limited resources.

InContinentalizing Canadian TelecommunicationsVanda Rideout examines active political resistance to the radical, neo-liberal transformation of Canadian telecommunications that has been orchestrated by the federal government, big business, and their powerful lobbyists over the last two decades. Rideout focuses on the protection of the public interest, a crucial element neglected by most recent studies, and shows that although alliances have been formed between labour, consumers, and public interest activists, significant disagreements over issues such as free trade, long distance and local competition, and a targeted subsidy program for very low-income Canadians have meant that this united front has not been able to counter the forces of the new neo-liberal telecommunication policy regime.Continentalizing Canadian Telecommunicationsdetails the complex relationships between the various corporate and government interests, shows how the changes they brought about have locked Canada's telecommunications system into the orbit of the US system, and discusses the implications this has for Canadians.

Contributors to this volume explore the dynamics of new communications technologies and public policy; from TPRC 2002. The contributors to this volume examine issues raised by the intersection of new communications technologies and public policy in this post-boom, post-bust era. Originally presented at the 30th Research Conference on Communication, Information, and Internet Policy (TPRC 2002)—traditionally a showcase for the best academic research on this topic—their work combines hard data and deep analysis to explore the dynamic interplay between technological development and society.The chapters in the first section consider the ways society conceptualizes new information technologies and their implications for law and policy, examining the common metaphor of "cyberspace as place," alternative definitions of the Internet, the concept of a namespace, and measures of diffusion. The chapters in the second section discuss how technological change may force the rethinking of legal rights; topics considered include spectrum rights, intellectual property, copyright and "paracopyright," and the abridgement of constitutional rights by commercial rights in ISP rules. Chapters in the third and final section examine the constant adjustment and reinterpretation of regulations in response to technological change, considering, among other subjects, liability regimes for common carriers and the 1996 detariffing rule, privacy and enhanced 911, and the residual effect of state ownership on privatized telecommunication carriers. The policy implications of Rethinking Rights and Regulations are clear: major institutional changes may be the necessary response to major advances in telecommunications technology.