The Relationship between Technological and Regulatory Change in the Communications Industry

Major changes in technology and in regulation led to the proliferation of and willingness to pay for new communication services The changes in technology enabled the changes in regulation, both through the ability to increase supply and quality, but because technological change opened the marketplace to new interest groups influencing regulators and regulation. At the same time, the regulatory system changed to allow and even promoting more competition. Part of the change to the regulatory system was in response to technological advances that changed the fundamental economics hat provided the justification for monopoly regulation and concomitant theories of regulatory capture.