Anthony J. Pennings, PhD

WRITINGS ON DIGITAL ECONOMICS, ENERGY STRATEGIES, AND GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS

The Telecom Crash of 2002

One of the economic history’s most fascinating questions will deal with the stock market advances during the eight Clinton-Gore years, especially those in the Internet and telecommunications sectors. During their tenure in the 1990s, the stock markets boomed, and the investments created the lowest unemployment in years. They also contributed significantly to the administration’s goal […]

The Transformation of Telecom to Global IP, GATT to GATS

In a previous post I wrote about how the U.S. Clinton-Gore administration used the notion of the Global Information Infrastructure (GII) to push for the adoption of Internet protocols through multilateral trade negotiations and telecom privatization. Below I address how the inclusion of services in trade talks helped facilitate the international spread of the Internet […]

The Transformation of Telecom to Global IP – GII to WTO

Vice-President Gore had introduced the concept of the GII at the annual ITU meeting in Buenos Aires during March of 1994. The target was the national PTT monopolies, the ITU’s main clientele. “He described a new communications revolution driven by the export of three American ideas: competition instead of monopoly, the rule of law, and the connection of networks to existing networks at a fair price.” Gore’s approach was to use the government to ensure competition and economic development.

Google Fiber in Austin

Austin, Texas is getting Google Fiber, the one-gigabit digital broadband service from the advertising giant. With connections to individual homes and businesses transmitting up to 1,000 Megabits per second, it is from 60 to 100 times faster than current services. What makes this Google Fiber unique is that it uses digital signals moving through glass […]

The FCC’s First Computer Inquiry

Any use of a communications carrier to connect remote terminals to computers brought the system into the realm of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). By virtue of the Communications Act of 1934, all telecommunications traffic needed to be regulated by the FCC. As early computers were being developed, his task of regulating computer communications was […]

Comcast and General Electric Complete NBC Universal Deal

Comcast has now completed it’s acquisition of NBC Universal. Marguerite Reardon reports that the new company will retain the NBC Universal name, but Comcast now owns 51 percent, while General Electric will retain 49 percent. The deal comes after The US Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission recently allowed the joint venture to […]

Communications and Media Policy in the 112th Congress

The Republican victory in House of Representatives suggests new dynamics for communications policy in the 112th Congress although the majority of Democrats in the Senate, however slim, will make it unlikely that any radical changes will occur in the upcoming year. In the Congress, “communications” covers a wide range of media and telecommunications issues including […]

Common Carrier Law and Net Neutrality

Rather than reliance on the First Amendment that guarantees the right of free speech, telecommunications law developed partially from the Constitution’s requirement “To establish Post Offices and Post Roads,” but mainly from commercial law developed to protect the rights of consumers as well as suppliers. Legally, both railroad and telegraph technologies came to be designated as “carriers.”

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  • About Me

    Professor at State University of New York (SUNY) Korea since 2016. Moved to Austin, Texas in August 2012 to join the Digital Media Management program at St. Edwards University. Spent the previous decade on the faculty at New York University teaching and researching information systems, digital economics, and strategic communications.

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    apennings70@gmail.com
    anthony.pennings@sunykorea.ac.kr

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    The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of my employers, past or present.