While state and local regulation is important to the development of communications, particularly broadband, Federal policies have been and will continue to be the dominant force in shaping the regulatory environment for communications. This paper identifies the Federal regulatory policies that have been most important to rural communications, and assesses broadly how well they have served to promote balanced national growth and development. In addition, areas where policy is and is not sufficiently flexible to meet distinctive rural needs are identified. Federal regulatory policies are organized within broad categories: (1) broadcasting (radio and television), (2) cable (general policies), (3) cable and broadcast translators, (4) telephone-telegraph services, and (5) domestic satellites. (NQ)