The layered model of telecommunication regulation is a proposal for nascent US telecommunication public policies that mimic the horizontal characteristics of
Internet Protocol
The Internet Protocol (IP) is the network layer communications protocol in the Internet protocol suite for relaying datagrams across network boundaries. Its routing function enables internetworking, and essentially establishes the Internet.
IP h ...
communication and the
OSI model
The Open Systems Interconnection model (OSI model) is a conceptual model that 'provides a common basis for the coordination of SOstandards development for the purpose of systems interconnection'. In the OSI reference model, the communications ...
. Advocates of layered telecommunication policies argue that current US regulations are not longer appropriate for new information technologies as functionally similar services (such as
DSL
Digital subscriber line (DSL; originally digital subscriber loop) is a family of technologies that are used to transmit digital data over telephone lines. In telecommunications marketing, the term DSL is widely understood to mean asymmetric dig ...
and
cable modems
A cable modem is a type of network bridge that provides bi-directional data communication via radio frequency channels on a hybrid fibre-coaxial (HFC), radio frequency over glass (RFoG) and coaxial cable infrastructure. Cable modems are primari ...
) are not governed by a common set of rules but instead subject to separate regulatory systems written for each distinct media type such as the
telephone
A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into e ...
or
cable television systems.
The layered policy model proposes a regulatory system that classifies technologies based on their common layered characteristics instead of regulating each communication technology with a disparate set of rules. Horizontal policy advocates argue that this modular approach to regulation promotes competition by forcing all telecommunication services to adhere to a uniform set of characteristic-based rules, thereby enhancing the competitive characteristics of an open marketplace.
Layered policy advocates argue that horizontal policies will provide regulatory clarity for current technologies and they will also be adaptable to future technologies. Layered policies could also provide an equal framework for local governments to provide
municipal broadband
Municipal broadband is broadband Internet access owned by public entities. Services are often provided either fully or partially by local governments to residents within certain areas or jurisdictions. Common connection technologies include unlice ...
services in a fair and competitive manner alongside private telecommunication providers.
See also
*
Telecommunications policy of the United States The telecommunications policy of the United States is a framework of law directed by government and the regulatory commissions, most notably the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Two landmark acts prevail today, the Communications Act of 1934 ...
References
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United States communications regulation