Developing a National Wireless Regulatory Framework : a Law and Economics Approach

One of the longest-running debates in telecommunications policy in the United States concerns the division of regulatory responsibilities between the federal, state, and local governments. While this debate usually begins with an analysis of which political subdivision is likely to produce the optimal regulatory policy, the debate often becomes a discussion as to which regulators are more responsive to consumer interests and more effective at their jobs. Rather than merely fueling the debate, this article takes a slightly different approach by providing a focused economic analysis of the social welfare effect of state and local policymaking in the telecommunications industry.