Telecommunications Telecom Regulations and Standards 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What US government agency regulates interstate and international telecommunications?
- FTC
- FCC (Correct answer)
- NTIA
- ITU
Correct answer: FCC
The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable in the US.
Question 2: What is the Telecommunications Act of 1996 best known for?
- Establishing the FCC
- Deregulating the US telecom industry and opening local markets to competition (Correct answer)
- Creating the 911 emergency system
- Mandating broadband deployment in rural areas
Correct answer: Deregulating the US telecom industry and opening local markets to competition
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 overhauled US telecom law by promoting competition and deregulating the industry, particularly in local phone markets.
Question 3: What does net neutrality mean in US telecommunications policy?
- ISPs must provide free internet to low-income users
- ISPs must treat all internet traffic equally without blocking or throttling specific content (Correct answer)
- All internet speeds must be standardized nationally
- Internet prices must remain neutral across all providers
Correct answer: ISPs must treat all internet traffic equally without blocking or throttling specific content
Net neutrality is the principle that ISPs must treat all internet traffic equally and cannot prioritize, throttle, or block specific websites or services.
Question 4: What is the purpose of the E-911 (Enhanced 911) system in the US?
- Encrypt emergency service communications
- Automatically provide location information to emergency dispatchers with 911 calls (Correct answer)
- Route all 911 calls through a national center
- Allow 911 calls over VoIP only
Correct answer: Automatically provide location information to emergency dispatchers with 911 calls
E-911 automatically delivers the caller's location information (Phase 1: cell tower; Phase 2: GPS coordinates) to public safety answering points (PSAPs).
Question 5: What does CALEA require of US telecommunications providers?
- Deploy IPv6 on all networks
- Build in technical capabilities to enable lawful intercept of communications by law enforcement (Correct answer)
- Provide free basic phone service to all citizens
- Use only FCC-certified network equipment
Correct answer: Build in technical capabilities to enable lawful intercept of communications by law enforcement
CALEA (Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act) requires US telecom providers to build in lawful intercept capabilities for authorized wiretapping.
Question 6: What is the Universal Service Fund (USF) in US telecom?
- A fund for purchasing government telecommunications equipment
- A program funded by carrier contributions to subsidize telecom services in underserved areas (Correct answer)
- An international treaty governing spectrum allocation
- A federal grant for building 5G networks
Correct answer: A program funded by carrier contributions to subsidize telecom services in underserved areas
The USF collects contributions from telecom carriers and distributes subsidies to ensure affordable phone and broadband services in high-cost and rural areas.
Telecommunications Telecom Regulations and Standards 1
What US government agency regulates interstate and international telecommunications?