Publisher Description

Telecommunications represents one of the largest high technology equipment and service industries in the world. Today there is growing support within the telecommunications industry for competition domestically and in world trade which is directly at odds with its distinctive political tradition of monopoly provision and minimally competitive international trade practices. This raises major questions, both for emerging public policy and for theorists concerned withthe making of public policy. This particularly true for Europe, the focus of this study, where the reform of the telecommunications sector has proven one of the most vexing issues confronting theunification of the European Common Market. Noam's book is the first major attempt to address the complicated economic and policy issues of telecommunications in Europe. He provides a thorough discussion of the evolution of central telephone networks, equipment supply, new value-added networks, and new telecommunications-related services within the framework of a detailed country by country analysis. This highly accessible and comprehensive study will be of interest to students and professionalsin the areas of communications, economics, and political science.

Author Biography

Eli Noam is at Columbia University; State of New York.

Table of Contents

I. Tradition and Change1: Public Telecommunications: A Concept in Transition2: The Establishment of the PTT System3: Network Tipping: The Rise and Fall of the Public Network Monopoly4: Forces of Centrifugalism5: Defense of the Telecommunications Monopoly6: Policy DirectionsII. The Telecommunications Systems of European Countries7: Germany8: The United Kingdom9: FranceTelecommunications in the Benelux and Alpine Countries10: The Netherlands11: Belgium12: Luxembourg13: Switzerland14: AustriaTelecommunications in Scandinavia and the North Atlantic15: Sweden16: Finland17: Norway18: Denmark19: Iceland20: IrelandTelecommunications in the Mediterranean Countries and Eastern Europe21: Italy22: Spain23: Portugal24: Israel25: Turkey26: Greece27: Telecommunications in Eastern EuropeIII. Battlefronts in Telecommunications Policy28: The International Organizations of Telecommunications29: Brussels Takes on the Traditional System30: Telecommunications Policy as Industrial Policy31: Transatlantic Trade Friction32: International Telecommunications Services33: The Economics if ISDN Integration34: The Political Economy of ISDN35: Value-Added Networks and Services36: Videotex37: Transborder Data FlowsIV. The Future of Telecommunications38: Networks in the Future39: Toward a Modular Network40: Telecommunications Liberalization: An Expansionary Process?41: Regulatory Tasks for the Future: Interconnectivity in the Pluralist Network42: The Pluralist NetworkNotesReferencesIndex

Review

"Telecommunications in Europe is a treasure of material and references written in clear language, and is of great value for anyone interested in telecommunications."--Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal"Exceedingly valuable as an information resource on European developments in telecommunications. It is written by an author with an idiosyncratic vision that provides many new insights to the reader."--Journal of Economic Literature"A remarkable survey of telecommunications policy and regulation in Europe. This book will be essential reading."European Competition Law Review"Noam provides a first rate presentation of the past and present regulations in the different countries. Combined with the extensive citations included in the appendices, this discussion is of great value to both lawyers and legal scholars....Telecommunications in Europe is a treasure of material and references written in clear language, and is of great value for anyone interested in telecommunications."--Comm/Ent"Eli Noam has made an interesting and useful contribution to the European Community's telecommunications review process."--Telcommunications Policy"Telecommunications in Europe is a treasure of material and references written in clear language, and is of great value for anyone interested in telecommunications."--Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal"Exceedingly valuable as an information resource on European developments in telecommunications. It is written by an author with an idiosyncratic vision that provides many new insights to the reader."--Journal of Economic Literature"A remarkable survey of telecommunications policy and regulation in Europe. This book will be essential reading."European Competition Law Review"Noam provides a first rate presentation of the past and present regulations in the different countries. Combined with the extensive citations included in the appendices, this discussion is of great value to both lawyers and legal scholars....Telecommunications in Europe is a treasure of material and references written in clear language, and is of great value for anyone interested in telecommunications."--Comm/Ent"Eli Noam has made an interesting and useful contribution to the European Community's telecommunications review process."--Telcommunications Policy"Encyclopaedic and highly accessible study."--Times Higher Education Supplement

Long Description

Telecommunications represents one of the largest high technology equipment and service industries in the world. Today there is growing support within the telecommunications industry for competition domestically and in world trade which is directly at odds with its distinctive political tradition of monopoly provision and minimally competitive international trade practices. This raises major questions, both for emerging public policy and for theorists concerned with
the making of public policy. This particularly true for Europe, the focus of this study, where the reform of the telecommunications sector has proven one of the most vexing issues confronting the unification of the European Common Market. Noam's book is the first major attempt to address the
complicated economic and policy issues of telecommunications in Europe. He provides a thorough discussion of the evolution of central telephone networks, equipment supply, new value-added networks, and new telecommunications-related services within the framework of a detailed country by country analysis. This highly accessible and comprehensive study will be of interest to students and professionals in the areas of communications, economics, and political science.

Review Text

"Telecommunications in Europe is a treasure of material and references written in clear language, and is of great value for anyone interested in telecommunications."--Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal
"Exceedingly valuable as an information resource on European developments in telecommunications. It is written by an author with an idiosyncratic vision that provides many new insights to the reader."--Journal of Economic Literature
"A remarkable survey of telecommunications policy and regulation in Europe. This book will be essential reading."European Competition Law Review
"Noam provides a first rate presentation of the past and present regulations in the different countries. Combined with the extensive citations included in the appendices, this discussion is of great value to both lawyers and legal scholars....Telecommunications in Europe is a treasure of material and references written in clear language, and is of great value for anyone interested in telecommunications."--Comm/Ent
"Eli Noam has made an interesting and useful contribution to the European Community's telecommunications review process."--Telcommunications Policy
"Telecommunications in Europe is a treasure of material and references written in clear language, and is of great value for anyone interested in telecommunications."--Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal
"Exceedingly valuable as an information resource on European developments in telecommunications. It is written by an author with an idiosyncratic vision that provides many new insights to the reader."--Journal of Economic Literature
"A remarkable survey of telecommunications policy and regulation in Europe. This book will be essential reading."European Competition Law Review
"Noam provides a first rate presentation of the past and present regulations in the different countries. Combined with the extensive citations included in the appendices, this discussion is of great value to both lawyers and legal scholars....Telecommunications in Europe is a treasure of material and references written in clear language, and is of great value for anyone interested in telecommunications."--Comm/Ent
"Eli Noam has made an interesting and useful contribution to the European Community's telecommunications review process."--Telcommunications Policy
"Encyclopaedic and highly accessible study."--Times Higher Education Supplement

Review Quote

"Telecommunications in Europeis a treasure of material and references written in clear language, and is of great value for anyone interested in telecommunications."--Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal "Exceedingly valuable as an information resource on European developments in telecommunications. It is written by an author with an idiosyncratic vision that provides many new insights to the reader."--Journal of Economic Literature "A remarkable survey of telecommunications policy and regulation in Europe. This book will be essential reading."European Competition Law Review "Noam provides a first rate presentation of the past and present regulations in the different countries. Combined with the extensive citations included in the appendices, this discussion is of great value to both lawyers and legal scholars....Telecommunications in Europeis a treasure of material and references written in clear language, and is of great value for anyone interested in telecommunications."--Comm/Ent "Eli Noam has made an interesting and useful contribution to the European Community's telecommunications review process."--Telcommunications Policy

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