DSL Advances

8.2. U.S. Regulatory Process

For an engineer, it is quite astonishing to realize that the chief architects of our networks are regulatory lawyers who have little understanding of layered protocols, statistical processes, or Maxwell's equations. Any company in the telecommunications industry should maintain a current understanding of the regulatory environment. Some major companies have large staffs devoted to regulatory activities, and at times may contract for more regulatory resources. It seems that every few years new regulatory policy causes fundamental changes to occur in the industry that can make or break the fortunes of certain companies. Equipment that once belonged to the service provider suddenly is classified as customer equipment, ...