Understanding impact of convergence on broadband industry regulation: a case study of the United States

Convergence is a dominant trend in the telecommunications and information industries, driven by the market demands for broadband service and promoted by competition and deregulation. This paper examines the impact of convergence in technology, business, and market on broadband services regulation by investigating the distinct features of the emerging broadband technologies and networks, comparing the differences between the narrowband network and broadband network in several dimensions, and elaborating on the implications of these differences for the regulation of the broadband services. It is argued that the advanced broadband networks, as a brand-new facility, should be treated differently in regulation compared to the existing narrowband telecom industry.