Recommended Citation

A symposium on public utility regulation in Maine The regulation of public utilities in Maine continues to evolve in response to changing economic, political and social forces. Not only has the structure of regulation of the electrical and telecommunications industry seen dramatic changes in the past twenty years, but it also is certain the next decade will see equally fundamental changes. Maine Policy Review invited three key participants in Maine's regulatory arena- Robert Briggs of Bangor Hydro-Electric, Public Advocate Steve Ward, and Thomas McBrierty of New England Telephone- each to interpret the changes of the past two decades and what future changes we can expect.- Editor The changing role of regulation in the telecommunications industry by Thomas D. McBrierty, Vice President- Maine, New England Telephone In just two decades the telecommunications industry has undergone profound technological and market-place changes that are shaping our information based, global economy. In twenty years, the industry has gone from rotary black phones to personal computers, modems, and fax machines; from copper cables to fiber optics; from electro-mechanical switches to computer switches; from a single dominant company to an ever-more competitive marketplace