EDITOR'S NOTE

Welcome to the first issue of Volume 50 of the Federal Communications Law Journal. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 continues to be a vital subject of commentary and criticism, and this issue focuses on the Act's universal service provision. In addition, this issue addresses topics ranging from the rights of FCC licensees to Internet jurisdiction.

In the first article, William Fishman proposes that despite the limited property rights of FCC licensees, their claims of detrimental reliance on prior FCC policy can, and should, allow reviewing courts to provide the licensees with protection from inequitable Commission action. Charles Oliver follows with a discussion of interconnection, access charges, and universal service as he explores the policy and economics underlying the Information Superhighway. In the third article, Gregory Rosston and Jeffrey Steinberg assert that the public interest will be served by adopting a flexible market-based approach to spectrum. Although a version of this article was released as an unpublished staff report in January of 1997, the Editorial Board believes that publication in the Federal Communications Law Journal will foster further debate regarding spectrum management. In the fourth article, Stephan Wilske and Teresa Schiller determine that while traditional laws of international jurisdiction offer "Netizens" some protection from long-arm jurisdiction, further development of these laws will be required in order to solve inevitable conflicts.

The special section on universal service begins with an article in which Allen Hammond exposes the gaps in the Commission's universal service policy, and advocates a greater role for community organizations. Three student notes also deal with universal service: Roxana Cook reveals overwhelming support for subsidizing internal connections for schools; Christine Mason urges the FCC to adhere to realistic goals and strict procedures in implementing the new universal service provision; and Nichole Millard argues that section 254 operates as an unconstitutional delegation of Congress's power to tax. The section on universal service concludes with a review of Milton Mueller's book on universal service by Clayton Miller, who headed the Transitional Editorial Board which brought the Federal Communications Law Journal to Indiana University School of Law--Bloomington.

The Editorial Board would like to thank all of the authors for their contributions. We are committed to providing our readers with broad coverage of pressing and important telecommunications issues, and we sincerely appreciate the continued support of contributors and readers alike. As always, we actively welcome your comments and submissions concerning any of the issues of interest to the communications bar. The Journal can be contacted at Indiana School of Law--Bloomington, 211 South Indiana Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47405; telephone (812) 855-5952; facsimile (812) 855-0555; and e-mail <fclj@law.indiana.edu>.

Michael M. Pratt

Editor-in-Chief