As an example of the former, the statute establishes a goal of universal telephone service but says nothing about how to achieve it. As an example of the latter, Congress has determined precise circumstances in which carriers may charge consumers for calls to 800 numbers. I should add that the FCC shares communications policymaking responsibilities with other governmental bodies in addition to Congress. The State Department and Trade Representative naturally play major roles in the international environment, but the FCC and NTIA are important participants too. State public utility commissions regulate intrastate telephony.
Courts also play a significant role in communications policy.
FCC decisions are reviewable by courts of appeal. The Case of VDT Let me put some of what I said earlier in context by using a concrete example. I could talk generally about our conscientious efforts to carry out legislative directives, our commitment to fair competition, our desire to promote infrastructure investment, and our responsibility to safeguard the interests of consumers. But I think these points can better be illustrated in a specific context. Video dialtone is something like cable, but it's different.