Telecommunications alternatives for federal users: Market trends and decisionmaking criteria

The telecommunications market has been marked by growing competition in local and long-distance transmission and in terminal equipment. In response to this, the goal of the study is to show what kinds of information government agencies should collect, and how they should use it, to improve decision making. The study considers four objectives: (1) to identify and assess options for meeting voice and data needs, taking into account technical, economic, and regulatory constraints; (2) to show how Federal agencies can evaluate their needs in light of the options for supplying them; (3) to establish criteria for evaluating the relative merits of options in light of these needs; and (4) to construct a decision making framework for choosing among options, taking into account uncertainties about costs, performance, and benefits.