Research On The Construction Of American International Telecom 's Dominant Power In The Rise Period (1865-1948)

Telecommunications refers to the information transmission and communicationby virtue of wire, wireless or optical system. Advanced electronic communicationnetwork is one of the essential parts contributing to the country’s development andcomprehensive strength. History shows that the rising of big power has closelyconnected with the rising of the development of national telecommunication. In lightof the importance of telecommunications, the United States had a fierce competitionwith European countries for controlling international telecom when he pursues theworld supremacy from late19th century to the end of the Second World War.From1860s to1898, European countries nationalized telecommunicationsindustry which hindered the overseas expansion of the United States communicationscompanies. In consideration of American constitution which regulates that onlyprivate sector can run the telecommunication industry, the United States governmentbegan to strive for congressional authorization after realizing the fact that thesubmarine cable communication has great significance on expanding foreign tradeand outputting American civilization, In order to facilitate the spreading ofinternational telecommunication, the U.S. government started to interfere thedevelopment of telecommunication. The U.S. government put forward reciprocalcable landing policy and bypass the rules of the international telecommunication,which help the private communication companies to open other countriestelecommunication market, and to avoid the international rules against privatecompanies. These two methods promote the development of U.S. internationalcommunication.From late19th century to the early20th century, the United States began to chasepolitical status as a big power in the world. After the Spanish-American war, the U.S.government deeply awares the strategic significance of international communicationto the America’s world status. He decided to get rid of the dependence on the UK’scable to establish a U.S.-led international communication system. The emergency of anew alternative technology (radio) provides an important chance for U.S. government.Through the following three levels’ cooperation with private companies, the U.S.governments dominate the international communication First, the United Statesgovernment cooperates with General Electric Company to protect and control its ownradio market; Second, the United States government cooperates with privatecommunications companies to occupy the foreign radio market; Third, at theinternational level, the U.S. government support the private company reshape theinternational communication rules which is conducive to the development of thewireless company. In1942,the United States controlled the internationalcommunication.In early1940s, after the United States controlled the international radio system,the U.S. government adjust its’ orientation on international communication. Hewanted to consolidate the long-term control of international communication after the war ended in order to take advantage of the international communication’s role inpromoting America’s soft power for the purpose of serving the nation’s post-warinterests. The U.S. government made use of the UN multilateral mechanisms torealize its goal. On one hand, the government put the InternationalTelecommunication Union into the United Nation’s system, which can help him toinfluence the making of the international rules in the future; on the other hand,however, the U.S. proposed "Free Flow of Information" principle and wrote it in theUN treaty to guarantee the open market for American communication company in thelong run.Reviewing the ways that the U.S. government employs to struggle for the controlof international communication from1870s to the end of world war II, a conclusioncan be made as follows: the public-private partnerships (PPPs) is a key to the successof the U.S. realization of dominating international communication. While in the PPPs,the government plays a facilitate but vital role. From the China’s perspective, thepractice of the U.S. government provides a valuable lesson for those companies whowant to expand their business abroad.