No dialtone: the end of the public switched telephone network

The set of arrangements known as the Public Switched Telephone Network ("PSTN") is the foundation for the modem global communications system and the myriad benefits it delivers. Today, the era of the PSTN is swiftly coming to a close. The transition to a broadband network of networks is the most important communications policy event in at least half a century, yet its significance is not fully appreciated. The time has come to address the situation squarely. What we call the PSTN is actually six different concepts: a technical architecture, a regulatory arrangement, a business and market structure, universal connectivity, strategic national infrastructure, and a social contract. The earlier elements on the list are rooted in the particular historical, legal, and technical circumstances that gave birth to the PSTN. They are anachronistic in the current environment and should be restructured or, when appropriate, eliminated. The later elements are public policy obligations that should be satisfied regardless of the historical circumstances. Separating the dimensions of the transition in this way highlights the central importance of interconnection and coordination mechanisms to meet enduring public interest objectives. By adopting a forward-looking plan for the PSTN transition, the FCC can ensure that the shift to a digital broadband world reinforces, rather than undermines, the achievements of the past century of communications policy.