[Colleagues are celebrating Professor Eli Noam’s illustrious career as he retires from directing the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI) and his professorship at the Columbia Business School. I am delighted to post A. Michael Noll’s personal reflections on Eli’s career with the permission of the author.]

CITI MEMORIES

A. Michael Noll

January 5, 2026

Introduction

These are my memories, recollections, and reflections of the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI), as its founder and director for nearly five decades, Prof. Eli Noam, retires — and the CITI becomes the Closed Institute for Tele-Information. “Closed” but not forgotten in terms of its legacy of scholarship.

Eli Noam

Eli came to the Columbia Business School (CBS) around 1976 and soon founded the Center for Telecommunication and Information Studies. A few years later, its name changed, and it became the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI) – a new term coined by Eli. (But I wondered whether Eli’s “CITI” was somehow involved with my CITI credit card!)

My years with Eli Noam and the CITI are treasured memories at my old age. I recall how I met Eli. Around 1980, Martin C. J. Elton enticed me to teach a basic technology literacy course at the Interactive Telecommunication Program, which he had founded in 1979 at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. During much of the time that Eli was a commissioner of the New York Public Service Commission, Martin served as director of the CITI. I became involved then with CITI, as Martin involved me in his study of the impact of broadband telecommunication – “broadband” back then was 56 kbps.

CITI

The CITI was initially located on an upper floor of the Columbia Business School building on the main campus near the Low Library. I recall having lunch at the cafeteria on the CBS main floor. Later the CITI was moved to a congested room between the first and second floors of the building, with a dumb elevator in the back, probably to move books for the business school library.

CITI touched upon thousands of scholars, academics, researchers, government officials, and industry executives – nationally and internationally – over nearly five decades. CITI organized innumerable events and conferences, and published oodles of papers and books.

I was the summarizer presenter at some CITI events, taking a questioning and skeptical perspective and throwing cold water on hyperbole. CITI events offered me free lunches and interaction with exciting and interesting people. It was also an excuse to “visit” New York City and go to Tower Records and J&R afterwards to satisfy my craving for classical CDs.

The executive directors of CITI were impressive in terms of managing CITI, and later had accomplished careers after leaving the CITI, such as Ken Carter, John Friedman, and Alex Wolfson. The CITI staff and various student helpers assisted Eli with his courses, papers, books, and travel – and handled the details of the events and conferences. They all need to be honored and acknowledged.

Prof. Michael Botein, of the New York Law School (NYLS), was a co-director of the original CITI. Michael was Director of the NYLS’s Media Center, and we together organized events and conferences. It was there that I met Roberta Tasley, who ran the Center. She also helped organize files and papers at CITI, and was a scholar herself.

Telecommunication History

Much has happened to telecommunication over the five decades of CITI’s existence. The old Bell System collapsed. The policy issues associated with the old Bell monopoly were resolved. The technology, however, continued to advance and change.

The power of light over optical fiber linked continents with unlimited capacity. Switching became digital and mechanical obsolete. Wireless cellular evolved into small smart phones everywhere. Low earth orbit satellites flipped earth-bound cellular with the antennas in motion while users were relatively stationary.

Challenges remain, such as the fate of the cellular wireless industry in the US, which is mostly a tri-opoly. The technical quality of telecommunication is not good, with such issues as noise, echo, disconnects, and telemarketing spoofing. The furfure of wired seems unclear, as terrestrial becomes intertwined with low-earth orbit (LEO) extraterrestrial. The landlines of coaxial cable and optical fiber are used mostly for access to the Internet for streaming video and to the World Wide Web. Texting is everywhere – almost a return to the telegraphy of the distant past. Artificial intelligence seems more like artificial information, as fake news, rumors, and conspiracy theories prevail – and the old reliable media of the past fade away.

The Future

Yes, indeed, uncertainties abound. The old Bell monopoly is long gone, leaving behind a Southwestern Bell (cloaked as AT&T) and a Bell Atlantic (now Verizon). Will the wireless and wired businesses of these two giants somehow detangle and reform?

The role of government regulation (such as by the Federal Communications in the US) seems unclear and is now mostly politicized. In fact, is there any need for the FCC at all as over-the-air broadcasting slowly dies?

CITI has always looked to the future of tele-information. CITI might be closed, but its former intelligence and thoughtful study of options and of the future are still needed. What might emerge, where, and by whom? Telecommunication and Eli’s tele-information are still essential and exciting areas in terms of technology, policy, economics, business, and consumer behavior.

Thank you, Eli and CITI, for your wisdom and contribution to tele-information over these last decades.