Telecommunications Law

Telecommunications Law - Professor Alan Galloway

• Course Number: LAW-546
• Course Type: Foundational
• Credits: 2
• Enrollment Limit: Determined by the Registrar
• Description: This course will examine significant recent developments and the interplay of current legal and policy issues in the rapidly evolving law of telecommunications and Internet regulation. Beginning with an introduction to the basic structural concepts of telecommunications regulation set forth in the Communications Act of 1934 (the era of monopoly telephone service), then exploring the transformation to a competitive marketplace following the breakup of AT&T and the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and continuing on into the current era of increasing convergence between voice and Internet service provided by legacy telephone companies, cable companies, competitive providers, wireless carriers, VoIP providers, and platforms such as Zoom and Teams, we will discuss the continuing role of the Federal Communications Commission, the interplay between state and federal regulation amid judicial and legislative constraints, the challenges posed by convergent technologies subject to differing regulatory regimes (e.g. cable, wireless, Internet). We will consider the future of the Communications Act and current issues such as net-neutrality, 5G wireless deployment, funding broadband for underserved areas/communities, and public safety.
• Prerequisite: none
• Evaluation Method:A full-length paper, 1-2 short quizzes, and regular class attendance and participation
• Capstone: no
• WIE: no