Transformative Choices: A Review of 70 Years of FCC Decisions

What lessons does history offer about telecommunications regulation in a time of fundamental change? Sherille Ismail, in his historical review essay, examines seven historic FCC policy choices over 70 years that were “transformative,” including television, radio, telephony, cable television, satellite TV, mobile phones, and HDTV, with special attention to the issue of favoring new entrants over incumbents to promote competition. In the long view, the results are mixed. He finds “there are no neat formulas” for deciding when governmental intervention is appropriate, as every case involved unique trade-offs. He offers some relevant factors for guidance as new situations develop.