The telecommunications industry is the most dynamic sector of the U.S. economy and a driving force of economic and social change worldwide. In this study of the interplay of technological innovation, entrepreneurship, and public policy, the author of Wrong Number: The Breakup of AT&T traces the telecommunication industry's evolution from the invention of the telegraph to the introduction of the web. In the process he shows how once discrete communications sectors have converged in a new hypercommunications structure that is reshaping the world economy. In its interdisciplinary reach, the book examines engineering, judicial, legislative, and administrative developments as well as the internal policies and external relations of firms such as AT&T. Finally, and with appropriate caution, the author attempts to assess the probable future impact of telecommunications on public life.
