In the early 1990’s the main goal in telecommunication was the creating of a competitive market. In recent years the regulatory topics have shifted towards areas like pricing and service quality.
In this paper these recent trends in policies are introduced and discussed.
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Competition
- 2.1 Local Loop unbundling
- 2.2 Government Ownership
- 2.3 Restrictions on foreign-owned companies
- 3. Standards
- 3.1 Mobile Phone market
- 3.1.1 Contract lengths
- 3.1.2 Portability of phone numbers
- 3.2 Broadband
- 3.2.1 Accessibility
- 3.2.2 Transmission Speed
- 3.3 Broadcasting
- 3.1 Mobile Phone market
- 4. Price Regulation
- 4.1 Consumer prices
- 4.2 Interconnection prices
- 5. Conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper aims to introduce and discuss recent trends in telecommunication policies, focusing on the changes that have occurred in the global telecommunications market due to rapid technological advancements and intense growth. The analysis explores the shift in regulatory focus from market liberalization to pricing and service quality.
- Market liberalization and the transition from monopolies to competitive markets.
- The role of Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) in facilitating market entry.
- The impact of government ownership and privatization on market competitiveness.
- The regulation of prices, both for consumers and interconnection.
- The evolving standards in mobile phone markets, broadband, and broadcasting.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This chapter sets the stage by highlighting the substantial growth of the global telecommunications market, particularly in OECD countries, between 1991 and 2007. It emphasizes the increasing importance of mobile phone services and broadband, alongside the technological advancements driving this growth. The introduction also points towards the significant changes in telecommunication politics, marked by the establishment of independent regulatory bodies and a shift in regulatory focus from creating competitive markets to addressing pricing and service quality.
2. Competition: This chapter delves into the liberalization of telecommunication markets, a crucial first step in fostering competition. It discusses the challenges faced by new entrants, particularly the high cost of wire networks. The chapter focuses on Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) as a key policy tool to overcome this barrier, outlining three different types of LLU: Full LLU, Line-sharing LLU, and Bit-Stream Access. The chapter also examines the role of government ownership and privatization in shaping market competitiveness, highlighting variations in policy approaches across different countries.
3. Standards: This chapter explores the development of standards within the telecommunications industry, focusing on three key areas: mobile phone markets, broadband, and broadcasting. In the mobile phone market, the discussion likely centers on contract lengths and the portability of phone numbers. For broadband, the key aspects would be accessibility and transmission speed. The section on broadcasting likely covers topics related to standardization and regulation in the broadcasting sector.
4. Price Regulation: This chapter focuses on the regulation of prices within the telecommunications industry, addressing both consumer prices and interconnection prices. It probably examines how regulators intervene to prevent market abuse and ensure fair pricing, possibly highlighting the use of price caps or cost-oriented pricing mechanisms. The chapter might also analyze the effectiveness of these regulatory interventions in different contexts.
Keywords
Telecommunications, market liberalization, Local Loop Unbundling (LLU), government ownership, privatization, price regulation, competition, standards, mobile phones, broadband, broadcasting, OECD.
Frequently Asked Questions: Telecommunication Policies
What is the main focus of this document?
This document provides a comprehensive overview of recent trends in telecommunication policies. It analyzes the changes in the global telecommunications market driven by technological advancements and rapid growth, with a particular focus on the shift from market liberalization to regulation of pricing and service quality.
What topics are covered in the table of contents?
The document covers an introduction, competition within the telecommunications market (including local loop unbundling, government ownership, and restrictions on foreign companies), standardization in mobile phone markets, broadband, and broadcasting, price regulation (for consumers and interconnection), and a conclusion.
What are the key objectives and themes explored?
The key themes include market liberalization and its transition from monopolies to competitive markets; the role of Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) in enabling market entry; the impact of government ownership and privatization on market competitiveness; price regulation for consumers and interconnection; and the evolution of standards in mobile phone markets, broadband, and broadcasting.
What is Local Loop Unbundling (LLU), and why is it important?
LLU is a key policy tool to facilitate market entry by allowing competitors to use the incumbent operator's network infrastructure. The document discusses different types of LLU (Full LLU, Line-sharing LLU, and Bit-Stream Access) and their implications for competition.
What is the role of government ownership and privatization in telecommunications?
The document examines how government ownership and privatization policies influence market competitiveness, highlighting the diverse approaches adopted by different countries.
How does the document address price regulation in the telecommunications sector?
The document analyzes price regulation for both consumer prices and interconnection prices, exploring how regulators intervene to prevent market abuse and ensure fair pricing through mechanisms such as price caps or cost-oriented pricing.
What standards are discussed in relation to telecommunications?
The document explores standardization in three key areas: mobile phone markets (contract lengths and number portability), broadband (accessibility and transmission speed), and broadcasting.
What is the time period covered by the analysis?
While not explicitly stated as a timeframe, the introduction mentions substantial growth in the global telecommunications market, particularly in OECD countries, between 1991 and 2007, suggesting this period as the primary focus of the analysis.
What are the key takeaways from the chapter summaries?
The chapter summaries highlight the significant growth of the telecommunications market, the challenges of market liberalization, the importance of LLU and its variations, the diverse approaches to government ownership and privatization, the role of standardization in different sectors, and the complexities of price regulation.
What are the keywords associated with this document?
The keywords include Telecommunications, market liberalization, Local Loop Unbundling (LLU), government ownership, privatization, price regulation, competition, standards, mobile phones, broadband, broadcasting, and OECD.
- Quote paper
- Caroline Bussenius (Author), 2010, Industry Analysis – The Global Telecommunications Industry , Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/183574
