Waiting for the Telecommunications Act to deliver

When President Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act of 1996 into law on February 8 1996, it was heralded as the dawning of a new age that would bring innovative technology, more and better services, and lower prices. Ten months later, however, this new age has not even begun to dawn, and it may not do so for quite a while. In fact, it is unclear what the Telecommunications Act's long term effects will be and whether the law will fulfil its promise. Under any circumstances, it looks as though consumers should not look for the large scale development, introduction, and deployment of new technologies in the near future. This will be the case partially because many telecommunications companies will be busy in the near future pursuing lawsuits, looking for partners, and figuring out what they need to do to cope with the Telecommunications Act.