The "landmark" Telecommunications Act of 1996 expressed four policy goals:

• To increase competition
• To expand universal service in the digital age
• To encourage capital investment and the introduction of new technologies and services
• To reduce the role of regulation at the federal and state levels
  

A fifth, unstated, goal was that the Act would lead to less, not more, litigation.
Five years later, many -- perhaps even most -- experts believe that none of the goals have been fully met.
So how will the new administration fix the perceived policy problems? Dr. Pearce will give an overview of FCC, DOJ, FTC, Court, and Legislative Policies initiated by Team Bush, and assess whether or not they will give the telecom-information industry the business boost that it says it needs in order to keep the new economy going.

Alan Pearce is the President of Information Age Economics Inc., a Washington D.C.-based research and consulting firm. Prior to founding IAE, Dr. Pearce was the Chief Economist at the FCC (the first person ever to hold that title), and then went on to become the Chief Economist of the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Telecommunications, and the Chief Economist and Senior Policy Adviser in the Office of Telecommunications Policy, Executive Office of the President. A well known writer and speaker on the policies and politics of the telecommunications-information-entertainment industry, both domestically and globally, Dr. Pearce has been described as "one of the industry's true visionaries" by Senator Larry Pressler, a prime architect of the 1996 Telecom Act when he was Chairman of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee.

Although the Internet is largely dependent upon the public switched telephone network, many aspects of its infrastructure are quite dissimilar. In this talk Dr. Bailey will describe many of unique economic characteristics of the Internet ranging from the structure of the Internet service provider industry to Internet pricing models. He will then discuss some of the recent developments that enable greater convergence of the Internet and telecommunications infrastructures. Finally, Dr. Bailey will describe how a fully interoperable Internet and telecommunications infrastructure will provide a suitable foundation for future e-business growth.

Joseph Bailey is an Assistant Professor at The Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland. His research and teaching focuses on the technology, economics, and public policy of information technology developments with a specific focus on the Internet. Dr. Bailey has numerous publications including "Internet Economics," a book he co-edited with Lee McKnight. He received his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1998.

Over the years new technologies have led to an explosive use of statistical data in all kinds of forecasting and planning operations. While much of this data needs to be translated into useful information, forecast practitioners have not fully benefited from this revolution in terms of systems, modeling methods, and decision support capabilities. In this talk Dr. Levenbach will provide a framework for a data-driven forecasting process that results in efficient uses of computing and Internet technologies for more accurate, reliable and defensible forecasting practices.

Hans Levenbach is the founder and President of Delphus, Inc, a software development and consulting firm specializing in demand forecasting and replenishment planning applications for manufacturers, distributors and retailers. Dr. Levenbach is the co-author of several forecasting books based on his extensive experience as practitioner and researcher while employed at AT&T and Bell Laboratories. Since Divestiture, he has consulted with many companies worldwide on implementing improved forecasting practices and software tools. Dr. Levenbach is a past president and treasurer of the International Institute of Forecasters. He holds a Ph.D. degree from the University of Toronto.

This talk will review the status of wireless telecommunications in the United States and assess factors that may be important determinants of future development. This will include discussion of both the mobile and fixed wireless sectors. A major focus will be how the legal framework and regulatory policies shaped the markets we see today, and how they may influence pricing, services, and technological innovation in the future. In particular, the impact of the FCC's spectrum management policy and auction program will be evaluated.

Walter D. Strack has been the Chief Economist of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, U.S. Federal Communications Commission, since July 1996. Dr. Strack is responsible for analysis of economic policy issues related to the wireless telecommunications industry and the Commission's program of auctioning spectrum licenses. He holds an M.S. in economics from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Virginia.