Emerging ICT ecosystem: Challenges for regulators & operators

Abstract

The recent decade has seen a tremendous change in the communication landscape; a transition from a closed walled garden communication industry to an open vibrant ICT ecosystem. Unlike the conventional closed model PSTN and broadcasting industries, the new ICT ecosystem exhibits an open architecture for converged communication services such as voice, video and data on converged terminals. Liberalization policies unbundling the last mile access and the digitization of information brought a radical change in the communication industry. Liberalization introduced the competition on the application and services layers by sharing the underneath transport and network layers resources. Thus economic efficiency of the transmission resources increased manifolds. The divestiture of the incumbent operators gave boost to open R & D efforts at different layers which brought revolutionary changes for technology development. The breakthrough in Cellular technology led to the mobility of communication with huge commercial success. Easy and quick deployment of cellular networks led to extend the communication network to the underserved areas and huge footprint was created in very short span. Tele-density just within one decade rose to 78 % by less than 20 % a decade ago. This research study is an effort to study the evolution of communication from a monopolistic closed model industry to open vibrant ICT ecosystem. The study envisages the factors contributing to this evolution and the characteristics of emerging ICT ecosystem. The study also entails the layered structure, core competencies of the major stakeholders and value creation in this ecosystem. The major focus in on the challenges such as spectrum re-farming and net neutrality and what services and business models can enhance the value of the networks. A case study of China's ICT landscape and challenges in light of changing dynamics of ICT ecosystem has been made. The study concludes with the following policy recommendations; □ A revised regulatory framework is required for effective utilization of spectrum through dynamic spectrum allocation and open spectrum pool based on market. Further a vigilant regulatory body should be incorporated to facilitate spectrum trading and mediating the conflicts among users. □ Net Neutrality laws to be enacted and incorporated under ITU ensuring the regional regulatory bodies to balance the economic and innovative incentives among network operators and service providers.