Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication

In an age of platforms, apps, and streaming services, telecommunications policy has a distinctly antiquated ring. Conventionally associated with POTS—plain old telephone systems—telecommunications policy, some might say, is decidedly not about PANS—pretty awesome new stuff. However, both POTS and PANS depend on a global infrastructural backbone of fiber optic cables, satellites, spectrum, and networks to bring the digital age to people’s homes, offices, and mobile phones.