The structure and organisation of many national and international telecommunications networks around the world has undergone considerable change in recent years. These changes have been characterised as part of the global trend away from the traditional regulation of telecommunications towards a so-called ‘deregulated’ environment. This article looks at the recent history of the process of change and reform which has occurred in telecommunications in Australia. It is argued that the simple notion of deregulation of telecommunications as a process where the government withdraws from market intervention does little to explain the complex nature of change which has occurred in Australia. By linking telecommunications policy to broader changes in technology policy, the paper aims to widen the base of current evaluation of telecommunications policy. This paper observes that it is possible to interpret the ‘deregulation’ of telecommunications as part of a longer historical process of various Australian government institutions trying to come to terms with economic and technological change. The particular emphasis placed in political rhetoric on technology in general and telecommunications specifically as a source of progress has meant that many important social issues have been neglected or inadequately addressed.