Telecommunications Policy Research Articles

A systems framework to telecommunication policy: the Philippine experience, 1989‐2009

PurposeThis paper aims to present a dialogue‐based systems framework using two cases in the liberalization of Philippine telecoms.Design/methodology/approachThrough a meta‐analysis of government data, academic research and policy studies about Philippine telecoms, the paper presents a holistic view of the role of political, business, and social sectors in policy making and implementation.FindingsThe paper shows how intra‐ and inter‐sector dialogues have resulted in the liberalization and growth of the industry. Conversely, it shows how paucities among such dialogues have had consequences in terms of unutilized capacity and in an oversight about the medium of choice in promoting universal access. Moreover, the paper shows how policy is a product of local traditions and global policy trends.Social implicationsThe paper reinforces calls for states to consider technological innovation and adoption in addressing universal service goals. The Philippines also serves as a case study for other developing states which pursue an agenda of liberalization and deregulation.Originality/valueThe study shows the utility of a proposed dialogue‐based systems framework as a parsimonious solution to the complexity of policy studies.

It's Time to Unify Telecommunications Policy

Abstract Rooted in 20th century legislation, telecommunications policy has historically been conducted in separate wired and wireless silos. The explosion of wireless voice, data and video communications, however, has largely overtaken wired communications, yet these silos persist. This article evaluates the economic foundation for unifying telecommunications policy.

Economía política de los estándares de televisión digital: el caso de América Latina

Durante la última década, casi la totalidad de los países de América Latina han afrontado la transición de sus sistemas de televisión al digital. Tomando como base teórica la economía política de la comunicación, este trabajo analiza las políticas públicas de televisión digital terrestre (TDT) en Latinoamérica desde una perspectiva multisectorial, estudiando los fundamentos de la elección de estándares, el papel de los lobbies y el impacto de las decisiones tomadas desde el punto de vista de las políticas industriales, las políticas de telecomunicaciones y las tradicionales políticas de medios.

Further Erosion of State Consumer Protection Remedies for U.S. Telecommunications: Flawed Federal Preemption Under At&T Mobility v. Concepcion

Further Erosion of State Consumer Protection Remedies for U.S. Telecommunications: Flawed Federal Preemption Under At&T Mobility v. Concepcion

Customer Satisfaction with Network Performance of BSNL and AIRTEL Operating In Gwalior Division (M.P.)

In the today's competitive world communication plays a very important role. Communication has become an integral part of the growth, success and efficiency of any business. This is the technology that gives a person the power to communicate anytime, anywhere. Due to advancement in technology, now communication becomes easy and faster. In this research paper, special emphasis has been laid over the comparative analysis of telecom companies AIRTEL and BSNL by using primary sources of data in Gwalior division of madhyapradesh . For the completion of efficient research work, descriptive and exploratory research design has been used which further conclude that BSNL is having weak Network performance as compared to Airtel . Trends of previous 5 years in Gwalior division have shown that BSNL Company has slowly deteriorated its I. Introduction: The telecom sector reforms were undertaken in three phases. The first phase began in the 80's, when private manufacturing of customer promise equipment was given a go-ahead in 1984. A proliferation of individual STD/ISD/PCO network also took place throughout the country by way of private individual franchises. Maharashtra Telephone Nigam (MTNL) was created out of the department of telecommunication (DOT) to handle the sectors of Mumbai and Delhi respectively. A high powered telecom commission was set up in 1989. Later Videsh Sanchar Nigam (VSNL) became the international service provider catering to telecom services originating from India. The second phase of reforms commenced in 1991 with the announcement of new economic policy. The government delivered the manufacturer of telecom equipment in 1991. It also ahead up radio services in 1992. In 1994, basic telephony was opened to the private sector by granting operating licenses to six companies. Also part of the second phase was the introduction of the National Telecom Policy 1994. It emphasized universal service and qualitative improvement in telecom services among other objectives. An independent statutory regulatory was established in 1997, Internet services were opened up in 1998. The third phase & reforms began with the announcement of the new telecom policy in 1999. The theme of NTP was to usher in full competition through a restricted entry of private players in all service sectors. The policy favored the migration of existing operators from the era of fixed license fee regime to that of revenue sharing. The policy further declined the strengthen of the regulator opening up of international long distance (ILD) and National Long Distance (NLD) services to the private sector and corporation of telecom services. The year 2001 witnessed the entry of private operators in offering basic telephony and NLD services. The telecom sector began witnessing a trend of growth with these reforms basic services were opened for unlimited competition more licenses were issued to the private sector for cellular services. There has also been a considerable increase in the rate of tale density. The telecom sector has thus completely changed both in terms of coverage and efficiency of services. Provision of landlines a demand, digital telephone, exchanges and the acceptability of optic fiber and wireless technology are a few instances of the change that took instances of the change that took place in the industry. Cellular telephone services have achieved great commercial success; because users recognize the mobile telephone access can improve productivity and enhance safety. A new subscriber is opting for cellular services for personal security, safety and convenience. Increase in demand and the poor quality of existing telecommunications landline services. Mobile service providers will be benefited from the research, the ways to improve their quality of service and to support more users in their system. The present study has been made to identity the customer's attitude towards cell phones ,telephones,broadband services of BSNL and AIRTEL in Gwalior Division. Many private operators have entered in to the cellular segment to provide services. It has brought heavy competition in to the market. They have to find out the customers attitudes towards this service which could be useful to formulate new strategies policy and market their services in a better way.

The Telecommunications Industry and Economic Growth: How the Market Structure Matters

This paper presents an endogenous growth model where, in line with the recent em- pirical evidence, the telecommunications industry (telecom) is an engine of growth. In such a framework, this paper analyzes the channels through which telecom con- tributes to economic growth and focuses on market structure analysis for telecom, in the light of the recent changes in it. This paper suggests how the market struc- ture of telecom and the competition type in the telecom market can matter for its contribution to economic growth. It also proposes the optimal market structure for telecom from the social welfare perspective. In addition, it suggests the direction of telecom policies which can improve social welfare, and uses its theoretical results for qualitative evaluation of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and similar policies.

Exploring the system dynamics competition in Taiwan’s mobile market

This paper explores the system dynamics competition of Taiwan’s mobile service industry for the period: from 1998 to 2009. By using the system dynamics approach, the purpose is to construct Taiwan’s mobile operating model based on six subsystems of operators’ numbers, subscribers, costs, price, revenue and profit. The principal findings conclude that the system behavior patterns of operators’ numbers and price are ‘eroding goals’ archetypes, subscribers and costs are ‘limits to growth’ archetypes, revenue is a ‘shifting the burden’ archetype, while profit is a ‘growth and underinvestment’ archetype. From the Taiwan’s developed experience of PHS and 2G technologies, it is predicting that the operator numbers are very likely to be minimized to a certain goal level irrespective of 3G and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) networks from the long-term viewpoint of market dynamic competition. Facing the current status of mobile market saturations, whether or not there is still space for new entrants to achieve profit deserves regulators to reconsider the effects of a telecommunications policy. Since Taiwan’s mobile market has gone to the saturation level, if the operators strengthen the reinforcing loops to invest a large amount of money and mental effort in order to grow subscribers, this may lead to limited improvement for any substantial profit. Furthermore, Taiwan’s three leading precursors should facilitate to achieve their 3G-coverage rate and seriously consider termination of their 2G network service in order to reduce the costs in the near future. Key words: Mobile market saturation, 3G, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), system dynamics approach, system archetypes.

The European Union’s Performance in the International Telecommunication Union

This article describes the performance of the EU in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It depicts a shifting environment where the relevance of the ITU in a globalised and converged telecommunications environment is being challenged itself. The EU has appeared to ‘cede’ an active role within this organisation over the period under analysis (1994–2010) to the intergovernmental, 48-member, European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT). This article argues that the perception of decline in the EU’s performance in the ITU is a recognition of the effectiveness of CEPT in producing Common European Positions, and the role that the EU can have in contributing on this scale. At the same time as this ‘operational’ decline is occurring in EU activity at the ITU level, EU engagement in discussions on telecommunications policy and strategy at the global level is increasing, but not targeted towards the ITU.

The Development of Evaluation Components and Indicators for Telecommunication Policy on Consumer's Perspectives

The Development of Evaluation Components and Indicators for Telecommunication Policy on Consumer's Perspectives

Telecom Policy Innovation: the Role of Free Spectrum and Telecommunication Development in Rural Ghana

Every nation wants to achieve Universal Access of telecommunication services due to its importance to the economy and national life. Unfortunately in sub-Saharan Africa, telecommunication services are either scarce or non-existent in rural areas. However, previous telecommunication policies have enabled the provision of various network technologies in Africa. What type of policy is needed to push these telecommunication services into rural areas? This paper discusses the importance of issuing a using Free Spectrum policy to as an incentive to small telecom network operators in Africa. Ghana is used as a test case.

Net Neutrality Discourses: Comparing Advocacy and Regulatory Arguments in the United States and the United Kingdom

Telecommunications policy issues rarely make news, much less mobilize thousands of people. Yet this has been occurring in the United States around efforts to introduce “Net neutrality” regulation. A similar grassroots mobilization has not developed in the United Kingdom or elsewhere in Europe. We develop a comparative analysis of U.S. and UK Net neutrality debates with an eye toward identifying the arguments for and against regulation, how those arguments differ between the countries, and what the implications of those differences are for the Internet. Drawing on mass media, advocacy, and regulatory discourses, we find that local regulatory precedents as well as cultural factors contribute to both agenda setting and framing of Net neutrality. The differences between national discourses provide a way to understand both the structural differences between regulatory cultures and the substantive differences between policy interpretations, both of which must be reconciled for the Internet to continue to thrive as a global medium.

Network Neutrality and Privacy According to Art. 8 ECHR

This article presents a structured approach to studying the privacy implications of the network neutrality debate according to art. 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR). Network neutrality is a topic discussed in telecommunications policy circles, on how actively Internet Service providers (ISPs) may manage the traffic of content on their networks. While more active network management may lead to more efficient bandwidth allocation, it also strengthens the gate keeping position of ISPs — with possible negative effects in terms of fairness. It is often alleged in European public interest circles that network management that goes beyond ‘neutral’ handling of traffic violates the privacy of Internet users. However, such claims are mostly rhetorical in character and are typically not supported by legal research. We attempt to fill this lacuna by comparing network neutrality related privacy claims to art. 8 ECHR case law. Our findings suggest that an art. 8 ECHR violation due to network management is not as straightforward as sometimes assumed, and mainly depends on the form and technique of network management, and the level of State involvement in network management.

Leadership by Innovation: A Case of Linkwell Telesystems

Linkwell Telesystems was established in Hyderabad 1993, by a first generation entrepreneur A. K. Prasad, who capitalised and took advantage of the growing liberalisation of the Indian economy and it’s developing Telecommunications Policy. In the mid 1990’s there was a growing demand for by Indian consumers for telecom products. To meet this demand Linkwell Telesystems ventured into manufacturing along with marketing of products related to PCO (payphone) products in India. Its vision was to combine excelling and establishing the best product entailing “technology based features.” Linkwell branded these products as “VISIONTEK.” Today Visiontek is known as a leading manufacturer and a top exporter of Telecom and Transaction Terminal equipment with reach to more than 50 countries

규제정책의 변화가 고도 통신망 투자유인에 미치는 영향분석

이 논문은 통신서비스의 규제정책이 역무통합이라는 규제정책의 변화와 함께 과거의 수직적 규제에서 수평적 규제체제로 바뀜에 따라 기존의 개별규제체제가 어떠한 형태로 변할 것이며, 이에 따라 통신망 투자에 어떠한 영향을 미칠 것인가를 분석한다. 역무통합은 진입규제와 행위규제를 분리하여 진입의 제약을 축소하고 행위규제의 유연성을 제고하는 효과를 가진다고 볼 수 있다. 따라서 역무통합 자체가 주는 직접적 효과보다는 상호접속 규제, 설비제공제도, 요금규제, 결합판매, VoIP 번호 이용 등 역무통합과 연계된 행위규제 개선을 통해 간접적으로 시장 파급효과가 나타날 것으로 예상된다. 본 논문에서는 먼저 기업수준에서 투자의사결정에 영향을 미치는 요소들에 대해 논의하고, 진입규제 완화, 상호접속, 요금규제, 망중립성 등의 개별규제가 투자결정에 미치는 영향경로를 분석한다. 마지막으로 정책에 대한 기본적인 가이드라인을 제안한다. This paper analyzes the impact of the change in telecommunication regulation on network investment such as the integration of telecommunication service. The integration of telecommunication service plays a role of separating the behavior regulation from entrance regulation and reducing a entrance constraints. Therefore, it is expected that the market spill over effect is high through the improvement of behavior regulation such as interconnection regulation, facilities provisions, retail price regulation, bundling, number portability of VoIP. This paper discusses the critical factor affecting the decision making process in respect of the firm level and analyzes the impact path guiding investment and innovation. Finally, the paper proposes the guideline for telecommunications policy.

Universalization of telecommunications services

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze and compare the regulations and public policies for the universalization of telecommunications services taken by OECD countries and by Brazil.Design/methodology/approachThis analysis was mainly based on OECD reports, on the legislation of the Brazilian telecommunication sector and on scientific articles and news related to the theme.FindingsIn accordance with the initiatives taken by OECD countries and with recent innovations arising from next generation networks, mainly based on internet protocols platforms, Brazil has also included broadband services in its universalization regulatory agenda. At the same time, the country has established several public programs aimed at expanding access to those services.Practical implicationsNevertheless, it is pointed out that there are still many challenges to an increase in Brazilian broadband penetration rates.Social implicationsTherefore, it is suggested that, in Brazil's case, some of these problems could be overcome through a direct government intervention in association with competition and industrial policies.Originality/valueThe paper emphasizes that, although in line with the regulatory measures taken by developed countries, Brazilian telecom policies must be adapted taking into consideration the idiosyncrasies of this underdeveloped country.

Regulatory federalism in telecommunications

The liberalization of telecommunications and technological change have unbundled a vector of public interventions in this industry. Now different government levels interact. The economics of federalism shed light into this new landscape. The insights from this branch of research are used to analyze the European Union common telecommunications policy (as compared to the history of federal and state regulations in the US) and the role of local and regional powers in the promotion of broadband new generation networks. Decentralized non-specialized policies internalize policy externalities, whereas specialized centralized authority internalizes territorial spillovers. Preliminary empirical evidence shows that decentralization of policies inside member states is not detrimental for broadband investment in the European Union.

The Six Fix: Conservatism or Timorousness?

India can justifiably claim to be a success story in so far as the telecom sector is concerned. The exponential growth of this sector over the course of the last two decades has been amazing. To that extent the policy regime has to be complemented. However, there are serious reservations in respect of the manner of implementation of the policy and the translation of this intent into practice. This has been all the more so in the recent past. The clamor for promulgation of a revised policy to address these concerns has been growing over time.The discussions on the broad contours of the National Telecom Policy, 2011 are in progress, facilitated in no small measure by the openness of the Ministry to accommodating the legitimate concerns of the relevant stake holders. One of the issues at hand is the approach to the question of Mergers and Acquisition (M&A) regulations in the sector. There is a feeling in some quarters that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) approach is unduly restrictive and does not augur well for the overall efficiency of the sector. It is argued that TRAI is being driven more by considerations of preventing windfall gains to some operators though the reasoning for the same has been couched in terms of potential competitive concerns. This paper argues that such an approach as advocated by TRAI is not called for at least on the grounds of competitive concerns. It also advocates that the new telecom policy in India should be guided by efficient and optimal use of spectrum, thereby accelerating investments in areas with low penetration levels of mobile services.

Next Generation Passive Optical Networking Technology Predictions by Using Hybrid MCDM Methods

The evolution of broadband telecommunication technologies has enabled applications over networks, which, in turn, has enabled the emergence of novel network services and applications such as VoIP and video on demand in triggering demand for higher network bandwidth. Passive Optical Networking (PON) is suitable for eliminating bandwidth insufficiency, so national governments and communities are observing the emergence of Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) technologies. Ethernet-based Passive Optical Networks (EPON) and Gigabit-based PON (GPON) are two candidates for next-generation PON in bandwidth efficiency. To predict which is more suitable nationally, we define a foresight framework based on hybrid Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods for selecting the most suitable PON. The development of next-generation PON, including Ethernet PON (EPON) and Gigabit PON (GPON), is introduced and compared. Experts from industry and academia were invited to predict the most suitable next-generation PON for Japan and emerging economies such as Taiwan. Results showed that EPON is most suitable for Japan and GPON most suitable for Taiwan. Results for the technological foresight can serve as the basis for national telecommunication policy and business product definition.

Survey of iPhone usage among anaesthetists in England

We have read with interest several recent letters to Anaesthesia concerning the clinical applications of smartphones [1, 2], and agree that the potential for future innovation using this technology is considerable. In February 2010, we conducted a national, online questionnaire survey of anaesthetists to quantify iPhone usage (Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, USA), assess application (app) use and identify future areas for anaesthesia-specific app innovation. We received 918 responses, of whom 59% owned an iPhone (50% consultants, 41% trainees and 9% non-consultant career grades). Of the iPhone users, medical apps had been used by 80%, with 60% finding anaesthesia-specific apps useful for clinical practice and 47% for educational purposes. Medical calculators were the most frequently used category of app. Respondents also stated that (inexpensive) country-specific apps could be developed, particularly Royal College compliant logbooks, and the Royal College of Anaesthetists/Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland should consider developing apps. There remains difficulty in accessing apps due to existing hospital telecommunication policies. The number of respondents represents only 8% of anaesthetists working in England and those responding were likely to be a self-selecting group of technology-aware anaesthetists; however, anecdotally we feel that smartphone usage is widespread among anaesthetists, leading one respondent to comment that ‘surgeons find iPhones very useful, because they come with an anaesthetist attached’. Smartphone technology is changing the way that medicine is learnt and practised in the developed world, with users becoming increasingly more likely to access convenient, regularly updated, web-based literature than refer to hard copies of books or journals [3]. Anaesthetists use apps to access material difficult to use or unavailable in hard copy form, such as medical calculators, logbooks, resuscitation algorithms and demonstration videos. Compatible apps exist for other proprietary operating systems (Table 2). Possibly of the greatest interest to anaesthetists is the potential for innovative developments in patient care and monitoring, using what are effectively very powerful mobile computers. The potential for tele-consultation, together with remote monitoring, has been reported in anaesthetic practice [1]. Anaesthetists have also used smartphones to reduce anxiety during the inhalational induction of anaesthesia in children [2], and assess depth of sedation by using two-choice visual reaction time testing [4]. In future, apps similar to AirStrip (AirStrip Technologies, San Antonio, TX, USA) may facilitate basic monitoring and real-time parameter analysis, including in remote locations or during emergencies [5]. We would encourage future entrepreneurial app development by anaesthetists and professional bodies, with the aim of improving the patient experience, patient safety and medical education. KBD and JP own iPhones. SW has never owned a mobile phone. No external funding and no competing interests declared. The authors thank all respondents for their time in completing the survey and for their helpful additional comments.

Market competition and the distributional consequences of mobile phones in Canada

The aim of this paper is to better understand how competition based telecommunication policies function as a mediating variable in the distribution of socio-economic consequences of mobile phones using the case of Canada. Many observers characterize the Canadian market as being uncompetitive, and argue that this lack of competition has affected Canadians in terms of access. Thus, even though almost all Canadians have access to land-line services, mobile phone penetration is still relatively low. This could be relevant as mobile services are more likely to include data and other advanced applications. As it is, access is influenced by age, income, and education. Gender is also relevant particularly with the use of more advanced devices and services. The urban and rural divide is of concern particularly where remote communities can benefit from having mobile phones. In addition, the lack of effective competition can negatively affect the competitiveness of domestic businesses relative to foreign competitors. One of the implications of the Canadian policy towards mobile phones is that while its approach was to limit regulation (regulatory forbearance) in order to develop competitive markets, those markets did not necessarily emerge. Regulatory forbearance thus contributed to a particular pattern of distributional consequences. This article argues that competition needs to be aligned with the overall goals of telecommunications policy. To do this, a country needs to define not what degree of competition is required but rather under what circumstances government intervention is needed. It might be satisfactory to have only few players in one national context but not in another. Defining the scope of intervention is perhaps most related to the tasks of identifying benefits and costs of access and how these are distributed.