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Books > Business & Economics > Industry & industrial studies > Media, information & communication industries > Postal & telecommunications industries
Broadband is one of the most transformative technologies of the 21st century, yet our understanding of its regional impacts remains somewhat rudimentary. Not only are issues of broadband pricing and speed relevant in this context, but the overall quality of service for broadband can often dictate its impacts on regional development. This book illuminates the regional impacts of this pervasive and important technology. The principle aim of this book is to deepen our understanding of broadband and its connections to regional development. First, it uses a geospatial lens to explore how the relationship between broadband and regional development influences access to technology platforms, dictates provision patterns, and facilitates the shrinkage of space and time in non-uniform and sometimes unexpected ways. Second, it book provides a comprehensive guide that details the strengths and weaknesses of publically available broadband data and their associated uncertainties, allowing regional development professionals and researchers to make more informed decisions regarding data use, analytical models and policy recommendations. Finally, this book is the first to detail the growing importance of broadband to digital innovation and entrepreneurship in regions. This book will be of interest to regional development professionals and researchers in economics, public policy, geography, regional science and planning.
This book is the outgrowth of shared interests between the editors
and the contributing authors to provide a multidisciplinary
perspective in evaluating universal service policy and recommending
policy changes to accommodate a more competitive telecommunications
environment. The book is interdisciplinary in nature to reflect the
extremely complex context in which universal service policy is
formed. The chapter authors represent a broad cross-section of
disciplinary training, professional positions, and relationships in
the telecommunications industry. Academic disciplines represented
include law, economics, anthropology, communication, and business.
The telecommunications industry has experienced dynamic changes
over the past several years, and those exciting events and
developments are reflected in the chapters of this volume. The
Telecommunications Policy Research Conference (TPRC) holds an
unrivaled place at the center of national public policy discourse
on issues in communications and information. TPRC is one of the few
places where multidisciplinary discussions take place as the norm.
The papers collected here represent the current state of research
in telecommunication policy, and are organized around four topics:
competition, regulation, universal service, and convergence.
This study examines how unions representing telephone workers--one in Mexico and one in British Columbia, Canada--have responded to changes in technology, work organization, and government policy stemming from the rise of a more global economy. Some business writers have suggested that globalization will compel unions to cooperate with managers as workers are more exposed to international competition. By analyzing the actual record of two unions in the highly internationalized telecommunications industry, however, a different picture emerges.
Telecommunications is one of the most dynamic industries in the modern world, with new products and technologies appearing almost every week. As in many other industries, the last twenty years have brought extensive and far reaching liberalization, with more and more countries opening their markets. In the last decade all but five Member States of the European Union have legislated for full opening of all market segments. The remaining five look set for further liberalization befor 2004. This book examines the process and consequences of telecommunications liberalization in the context of ever closer European Union. The creation of a single market for telecommunications and of a wider European single market mirror one another. Telecommunications are also something of a test case for the privatization process, as this sector has traditionally been a state monopoly. The volume approaches the European experience from three angles: the politics of regulation and the process of liberalization in the EU (including case Studies of the UK, France, and Germany); increasing global economic interdependence makes international comparisons essential, and the volume compares the EU experience wi
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the Federal Communications
Commission's Local Competition Order are just two examples of the
continuing monumental and far-reaching changes occurring throughout
the telecommunications industry. At the 1996 Telecommunications
Policy Research Conference (TPRC) -- an annual forum for dialogue
among scholars and the policymaking community on a wide range of
telecommunications issues -- leading industry and academic
researchers presented results of their research and insights in key
areas of activity, including:
The revolution of wireless communications has only just begun to
transform the telecommunications industry worldwide. This book
offers insight into the possible options for corporate strategists
and government policymakers as they look to harness the expansion
of wireless communications to meet the goals of sustainable
telecommunications development. Using a multidisciplinary approach
which combines policy research, legal analysis, business economics,
and models of sustainability from the environmental sciences, the
book compares the development of wireless communications in four
countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, and
Brazil.
The telecommunications industry is the fastest growing sector of the US economy. This interdisciplinary study of technopolitical economics traces the industry's evolution from the invention of the telephone to the development of hypercommunications. Primary focus is on AT&T and its rivals.
The telecommunications industry is the most dynamic sector of the U.S. economy and a driving force of economic and social change worldwide. In this study of the interplay of technological innovation, entrepreneurship, and public policy, the author of Wrong Number: The Breakup of AT&T traces the telecommunication industry's evolution from the invention of the telegraph to the introduction of the web. In the process he shows how once discrete communications sectors have converged in a new hypercommunications structure that is reshaping the world economy. In its interdisciplinary reach, the book examines engineering, judicial, legislative, and administrative developments as well as the internal policies and external relations of firms such as AT&T. Finally, and with appropriate caution, the author attempts to assess the probable future impact of telecommunications on public life.
Dealing primarily with the telecommunications industry, this text applies the strategic states model to international business strategies of industrial companies. It provides: a broad description of the telecommunications industry; details of an in-depth study of the telecommunications group Ericsson, including their developments in major markets such as Germany, the USA and Japan; and a description of how the strategic states model has worked for Ericsson and other companies. The strategic states model enables us to describe the current state and strategic development of any company or organizational unit. Using this method a company can scrutinize its alternatives and better understand its position and the possibilities for the future.
As the telecommunication and information field expands and becomes
more varied, so do publications about these technologies and
industries. This book is a first attempt to provide a general guide
to that wealth of English-language publications -- both books and
periodicals -- on all aspects of telecommunication. It is a
comprehensive, evaluative sourcebook for telecommunications
research in the United States that brings together a
topically-arranged, cross-referenced, and indexed volume in one
place. The information provided is only available by consulting a
succession of different directories, guides, bibliographies,
yearbooks, and other resources.
This volume brings together scholars and policymakers to address
the issue of telecommunications policy in developing countries. It
elaborates on the position that economics and technology determine
the framework for discussion, but politics makes the decision.
Politics, in this case, refers to the dynamics of the power
structure generated by the historical and contemporary context of
state, social, economic, and cultural forces. The chapter authors
address the system of information transportation -- the
telecommunications sector in developing countries ranging from
low-income countries with overburdened, rural roads in south Asia
and Africa trying to catch up to digitalized fibre-optic
superhighways in middle income countries such as Singapore.
In the last decade, the technology, regulation, and industry
structure of our information infrastructure (telephone services,
cable and broadcast television, and myriad new data and information
services) have changed dramatically. Since the break-up of
AT&T's Bell System monopoly, telephone services in the United
States are no longer purchased from a single firm. Advances in
fiber optics, wireless communications and software-controlled
switching are changing how communication services are provided. As
the global economy grows more dependent on a hybrid mix of
interconnected networks, public officials in the US and abroad are
relinquishing control of the market. All of these changes are
affecting the quality and reliability of the telecommunications
infrastructure, but informed discussions of the public policy and
economic issues are scarce. Deregulation and increased competition
have lowered prices, but have service quality and reliability
suffered? Do advanced network technologies which make it possible
to offer a dizzying array of new services increase vulnerability to
system-wide failures? Who should or is likely to bear the costs of
increased -- or decreased -- service quality?
As more people choose to work from home, the challenges for both the home worker and traditional management increase. Many questions arise regarding how to appraise the remote worker, the logistics of home working, and productivity. The authors focus on developing the right skills to cope with this new environment and stress the importance of knowing what the homeworker needs. Other issues addressed are finding the right balance between the office, home and client sites, dealing with the creation of workable home office environment, and technological and legal issues.
This important volume presents the pros and cons of a national
service that will meet the information needs and wants of all
people. In the preface, Everette E. Dennis, Executive Director of
The Freedom Forum Media Studies Center, asks, "What will a true
information highway -- where most citizens enjoy a wide range of
information services on demand -- do to local communities,
government, and business entities, other units of society and
democracy itself?"
By covering both administrative and non-administrative aspects of the postal network, this four-volume reset edition shows how this system was part of a larger network which included different modes of transport and communication (steamboats, railroads, telegraphs) as well as political parties (the Democrats, Whigs and Republicans).
Design and maintain document delivery services that are ideal for academic patrons! In Document Delivery Services: Contrasting Views, you'll visit four university library systems to discover the considerations and challenges each library faced in bringing document delivery to its clientele. This book examines the questions about document delivery that are most pressing in the profession of library science. Despite their own unique experiences, you'll find common practices among all fourincluding planning, implementation of service, and evaluation of either user satisfaction and/or vendor performance. This book reviews the planning and process of implementing document delivery in: Miami University University of Colorado at Denver University of Montana at Missoula Purdue University Libraries Document Delivery Services: Contrasting Views addresses the paradigm of access versus acquisition and shows you how document delivery can be more integral in the library right alongside full-text databases, Internet access, and reference services. This book focuses on the issues that develop specifically in academic libraries, such as the invisible user majority of undergraduate students when considering budget issues and collection development. This book also explores the dynamic relationship between faculty and library administration that can impact events such as serials cancellations, alternative access to materials, and the reorganization of libraries to incorporate enhanced services to users. You'll find useful information and proven methods concerning these topics: re-engineering library services restructuring a traditional Interlibrary Loan Department into an Information Delivery/Interlibrary Loan Department (ID/ILL) criteria for document delivery vendor selection delivering electronic tables of contents and search strategy outputs to faculty desktops document delivery in academic fee-based information services With Document Delivery Services: Contrasting Views, document delivery becomes more than a simple acquisitions tool or a necessary service; instead it is an enhanced access service that lends greater perspective to library staff and users alike. This handy volume will help expand the role of document delivery services in your own library setting.
Which part of this Asian address is the street? What is this accent and is it correct? Which one of these numbers is the postcode? In which language should I be corresponding? How do I salute this person? In which order should I output this name? For every individual entered on to a world-wide address database, these questions, and others, need to be answered accurately and correctly. This one-stop reference work covering 194 countries will enable you to have the most accurate international marketing database around - one that makes optimal use of the direct marketing activity generated in your company and ensures that your post is delivered to the correct destination and recipient. Global Sourcebook of Address Data Management provides, for each country, such information as address and postcode formats, postbox names, salutations, personal name patterns, information about languages, diacritical marks, job titles, casing rules, street types and much more. It will make the management and development of any marketing database more efficient, less expensive and will result in fewer errors and, most importantly, will present the best first impression of the company to its potential customers. No other book can claim to offer such a comprehensive source of essential information for any manager of an international database, from data quality, direct marketers, market researchers through to telemarketing managers.
From Roman times until this century the business of government has been largely carried out by the writing of letters, either in the form of instructions or of authorisations to deliver information orally. These documents were addressed to the recipient and authenticated by a seal or signature, often having a greeting and a personal conclusion. The messengers who took them also carried copies of laws and regulations, summonses to courts and whatever else was needed for the administration of the country. Without a means of speedy delivery to all concerned there could be no effective government. Separate postal services developed to meet the needs of nobles, the church, merchants, towns and the public. This book discusses three meanings of the word 'post': the letters, those who carried them, and the means of distribution. It shows that there is some continuity from Roman times and that the postal service established throughout England after the conquest of 1066 continued until 1635 when it was officially extended to the public, thus starting its amalgamation with the other services.
This revised casebook-plus-commentary offers a basic introduction to the traditional regulation of telephone companies as well as the new lines of businesses they have entered. Drawing on historical and contemporary court decisions as well as on FCC and legislative materials, Brenner documents and evaluates the past twenty years of regulation of the telecommunications industry. In particular, he traces the major regulatory changes from the time of AT&T's single-firm dominance to the increasingly competitive marketplace of today. The law and literature necessary to understand the development and trends in telecommunications are voluminous and, up until now, have been difficult to locate in one place. This book presents the critical concepts and shifts in communications policy coherently and concisely. In this revised and expanded edition, Brenner provides excerpts and comments upon the key decisions in the field, ordering them in a readily accessible manner. He assumes no specialized background in technology, law, or economics. Brenner provides an ideal introduction to this increasingly important field for professionals as well as for scholars and students interested in communications and communications policy.
The provision of advanced telecommunication networks is increasingly pivotal in determining an economy's perfomance. This study examines the importance of these networks within the EU and questions their role in promoting economic regeneration and renewal in Europe. Examining the nature of telecommunication networks and the rationale for the development of trans-European networks, the study explores the features networks need to exhibit if they are to complement the broad themes of Europe's industrial policy, and demonstrated the economic importance of advanced telecommunications to business. The final chapters of the volume offer an analysis of the technology associated with the three chosen priorities of the EU in the development of advanced telecommunication infrastructure: the Integrated Digital Network (ISDN); and the development of telematic network; the development of broadband networks.
First class postage rates have risen from six cents in 1971 to 25 cents in 1988. This rapid increase might be justifiable if service had improved commen-surately, but in fact postal service has steadily deteriorated. The Postal Service concedes that it takes ten percent longer to deliver a first class letter than it did in the 1960s, and one recent postmaster general admits that delivery may have been more reliable in the 1920s. In this volume, Adie reviews the failures of the U.S. Postal Service--an inability to innovate, soaring labor costs, huge deficits, chronic inefficiency, and declining service standards. He blames most of these problems on the postal service's monopoly status. Competition produces efficiency and innovation; monopoly breeds inefficiency, high costs and stagnation. He also examines the experiences of other countries and other industries that may be valuable in prescribing reform for the postal service. The breakup of AT&T provides lessons that may be applied to postal reform. The long-run effects of deregulation on the airline industry are also examined. Since the postal service has serious union problems, Adie looks at the air traffic controllers' strike and other evidence on pay and labor relations in government unions. Finally, Adie examines the experiences of Canada and Great Britain with privatization of government companies. He then offers a comprehensive--and controversial--reform plan for the U.S. Postal Service, with no further monopoly privileges or taxpayer subsidies. He argues that private companies should be free to compete with the Postal Service, and it, in turn, should be free to compete in all phases of the communications business. Without privatization and deregulation, the Postal Service is doomed to continuing inefficiency, rising costs, worsening labor relations, and an increasing loss of customers to more innovative and efficient service providers. Competition would give the Postal Service a chance to enter the 21st century as a modern, efficient company. It would also give American consumers a chance to have the kind of mail service that a modern economy demands.
How does a telecommunications company function when its right hand often doesn't know what its left hand is doing? How do rapidly expanding, interdisciplinary organizations hold together and perform their knowledge work? In this book, Clay Spinuzzi draws on two warring theories of work activity - activity theory and actor-network theory - to examine the networks of activity that make a telecommunications company work and thrive. In doing so, Spinuzzi calls a truce between the two theories, bringing them to the negotiating table to parley about work. Specifically, about net work: the coordinative work that connects, coordinates, and stabilizes polycontextual work activities. To develop this uneasy dialogue, Spinuzzi examines the texts, trades, and technologies at play at Telecorp, both historically and empirically. Drawing on both theories, Spinuzzi provides new insights into how net work actually works and how our theories and research methods can be extended to better understand it. |
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