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46a Comms network, neatly arranged, links to great public road (11,12).
Information superhighway, I assume, but can’t parse the first word.

IN FORMATION is neatly arranged

in formation is neatly arranged!

Thank you.

4d Plays lacking the ne plus ultra, broadcast rarities in the end (7-7)
C-R-A-N -A-S-R-

Can anyone help me parse this please? I'm assuming it's 'Curtain raisers' and that 'the end' is 'Curtains'. That leaves me with 'raiser' which I can see to be an anagram of rarities if you ignore 'it'. Am I on the right lines and, if so, how does 'ne plus ultra' equate with 'it'? Is the clue implying that a play that isn't 'ne plus ultra' hasn't 'got it'?

Zinc, Chambers has a definition of 'it' as
4. The ne plus ultra, that which answers exactly to what one is looking for (informal)

Thanks Mattrom. Good to know I was on the right lines.

23d Evaluates idiots on the distaff side (8)
Assesses. Asses = idiots, but how is 'ses' on the distaff side?

If a male idiot is an ass, might a female one be an assess?

Thanks ChrisE, that seems terribly contrived but it's probably what the setter intended.