Universal personal communications in the new telecommunications world order: Access to wireline networks

Growing demand for wireless telecommunication services raises questions about the terms and conditions for interconnection with incumbent wireline carrier facilities. What has been a minor adjunct to wireline facilities may evolve into an infrastructure capable of providing near ubiquitous telecommunications, with significant traffic volume that never traverses wireline facilities. This article explores the potential for wireless networks to establish parity of access and a correspondent relationship with incumbent wireline carriers. Such an examination anticipates that local exchange carriers will lose bottleneck control as proliferating networks and service options make telecommunications a more porous and less hierarchical process.