Postgraduate Course: Communications Law (LAWS11300)
Course Outline
| School | School of Law |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course covers the regulation of communications networks and services, from the early regulation of telegraph projects, through the regulation and liberalisation of telecommunications law over the course of the 20th century, to the present-day, EU-led system for electronic communications. Attention is paid to the major regulatory agencies, including domestic (Ofcom in the UK, the Federal Communications Commission in the US), European Union, and international (International Telecommunications Union). The course explores a range of legal and policy questions, including price control, social and universal service obligation, separation and new entry, technological neutrality (e.g. between wired and wireless), cross-border agreements, and consumer protection. The interaction between communications law and other forms of regulation (e.g. competition, media, trade) is explored, as are perspectives on the communications industries from other disciplines, particularly the relationship between law and innovation.
Through careful attention to the work of regulatory agencies and the way in which industry and stakeholders articulate their positions in relation to controversial legal and political issues, the practical elements of communications law are emphasised. This is situated in the context of due consideration of the history of communications law, as well as critical material from a number of jurisdictions. Students are encouraged to see how the high-level principles of legislation and major court decisions are used in practice, and how a wide range of regulatory strategies are adopted by states today. |
| Course description |
1. Communications and the law I
Early steps; Monopoly! Comparing AT&T and British Telecom; The introduction of limited competition and the early days of satellite
2. Communications and the law II
UK: duopoly, privatisation and mobile; US: breaking up AT&T; The rise of the economists
3. European Union I
Free movement of services and "unbundling"; Comparing regulation across the Union; Towards the New Regulatory Framework
4. EU II
Framework; Access; Interconnection
5. Consumers
Universal service; Transparency and pricing; The Roaming Regulation
6. International law
The role of the ITU; Spectrum; WTO Agreement
7. Internet
Top-down vs bottom-up; The rise of the engineers; Who controls?
8. The medium and the message
Premium rate services; Telecoms and broadcasting; Net neutrality
9. Competition today
"Switching"; Functional separation; Competition law or telecoms law?
10. The future
Next generation access; Current work at Ofcom; A global communications law?
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Please contact the distance learning team at escript.support@ed.ac.uk |
| Additional Costs | Students should have regular and reliable access to the Internet. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Please contact the distance learning team at escript.support@ed.ac.uk |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2014/15, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 40,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
156 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
One essay of up to 4,000 words (60%); one individual assignment (20%); contribution to weekly online discussions throughout the semester (20%). Requirements for all module assessment will be outlined to students within the individual modules at the start of each semester. |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- By the end of the module students should:
1. have a deeper understanding of the legal issues arising in the communications industry (including user/consumer perspectives);
2. appreciate the limits on administrative action in the UK and elsewhere;
3. be able to engage in debate as to the type of regulatory measures appropriate for different forms of communication, and
4. comprehend the role of international law ("hard" and "soft") for this field.
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Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Daithi Mac Sithigh
Tel: (0131 6)50 9510
Email: Daithi.Mac.Sithigh@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Douglas Thompson
Tel: (0131 6)50 2022
Email: D.Thompson@ed.ac.uk |
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© Copyright 2014 The University of Edinburgh - 12 January 2015 4:17 am
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