In the last two decades, largely fuelled by advances in computer technology, there have been rapid and significant changes in telecommunications technologies and networks. Reasonably priced access to telecommunications/information networks is becoming a necessary component to community economic viability.  Given the speed of change, and the increase in importance and pervasiveness of telecommunications infrastructure and services, policy and the policy community in the domain are also in a phase of rapid growth and development. -- This thesis documents changes in the telecommunications policy community in Canada and in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador during the last 15 years.  It reviews a number of telecommunications policy options used in other countries with substantial rural regions.  Finally, using Newfoundland and Labrador as a case study, it suggests policy options that might be employed to enhance opportunities for rural areas to have great access to more sophisticated networks, and thus be able to participate more fully in the economic benefits afforded by such access