Sequencing in telecommunications reform: A review of the Turkish case

This paper reviews the Turkish case of telecommunications reform with reference to the evidence from the sequencing literature. Turkey’s progress is in line with the proper sequencing of reform suggested by the literature. Accordingly, Turkey has pursued a gradualist approach by restructuring its public utility, the Posts, Telegraph and Telephone Company, and creating Turk Telecom in 1994; establishing the sector regulator, the Turkish Telecommunications Authority, in 2000; and liberalising the sector in 2003 before selling 55% of Turk Telecom to Oger Telecom, a private company, in 2005. Although the proper sequencing of reform was implemented, the Turkish telecommunications sector has not been functioning satisfactorily as yet, as indicated in the recent progress report of the European Union about Turkey’s accession and as revealed by the performance indicators analysed in this paper. The prevailing information, incentive and commitment problems require a close cooperation by the government with the regulators so as to ensure and reinforce the autonomy of the Telecommunications Authority and to establish a more transparent decision-making process.     

Telecommunications in Canada: The regulatory crisis

The article highlights the need for a national dimension in Canada's telecommunications systems. But the national dimension is undermined by the country's haphazard regulatory structure, and the consequent barriers to fair and equitable access to telecommunications services. A solution is proposed in the form of a national regulatory body which, without constitutional rearrangement, would yield effective federal authority and simultaneously ensure that valid concerns of a local or intraprovincial nature are taken into account.     

Telecommunications policy: The medium is the message

Reflecting on his involvement with Telecommunications Policy, since 1979, this article by one of its first editors Colin Blackman, contributes to the 40^th anniversary issue. It describes the launch of the journal, the unique nature of its publisher, IPC Science & Technology Press, the way in which the field has changed over the past four decades, and makes some personal observations about the changing nature of the world of journal publishing.     

Telecommunications interception in Australia: Recent trends and regulatory prospects

This article reviews recent trends and regulatory prospects relating to telecommunications interception in Australia. The steady expansion of surveillance powers in Australia over the past two decades, particularly at the federal level, is critically evaluated. Drawing comparisons with the United States, the article analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the existing regulatory system for telecommunications interception, including legal safeguards such as judicial warrants and civil actions for unlawful interception. The authors conclude by sketching a new normative framework for telecommunications interception that repudiates the idea of “balancing” competing interests in favor of a regulatory model that promotes human rights and due process as paramount considerations.     

Telecommunications policy-making in New Zealand during the last two decades

During the last two decades the traditional roles of the major providers of telecommunications services have changed due to internal and external economic, political, social and technological pressures. This paper, using case-study research, describes the ‘change agents’ and formal structures involved in telecommunications policy-making processes, taking note of a move towards, and need for, a coherent national communications policy. It illustrates how decisions have been made and lays the groundwork for a more detailed study of the evolutionary changes in telecommunications policy-making in New Zealand in subsequent years.     

The evolution of the telecommunications policy agenda: Forty years of articles in Telecommunications Policy

This paper investigates the evolution of the telecommunications policy agenda by means of text mining forty years –from 1976 to 2016– of papers in the journal Telecommunications Policy. Text mining techniques help identify the key topics, the dominant combinations of concepts and the main areas of research within this multidisciplinary –technical, economic, social, policy– discipline. In addition they depict an evolution of the policy agenda more nuanced than the conventional public service, pre-competition and post-liberalisation stages typical of telecommunications. Also, in combination with bibliometric information, the results display the relationships between areas of research and methodologies, countries and authors’ background, all together providing a deeper understanding of the past, present and future avenues for research in telecommunications policy.     

Telecommunications in the developing world : Investment decision and performance monitoring

The contention that there is significant underinvestment in telecommunications services in developing nations is supported by cross country data. The accepted approach to determining whether investment should take place involves: identifying unsatisfied demand; determining the least cost solution; and assessing whether benefits will exceed costs. The author draws upon the experience of World Bank involvement in telecommunications projects in developing nations and concludes that the trend in some developing countries toward increased investment in the sector will continue, furthering the goals of increased economic efficiency and improved social equity.     

Telecommunications and investment decisions in the Philippines

This article is a rejoinder to the article written by R.J. Saunders published in the December 1983 issue of Telecommunications Policy on investment decisions in telecommunications. The author, in this brief paper, attemps to discuss the decision-making process in telecommunications investments described by Saunders and as it relates to the practical experience of the Philippines and other developing countries in a similar situation. Attention is given to how the national telephone programme in the Philippines is being developed. Efforts have been exerted to identify the similarities and basic differences of the Philippines to other developing countries.     

Regulation and efficiency in transition: The case of telecommunications in Italy

In regulating the telecommunications industry, the separation between network and retail functions, which is designed to countervail the market power of incumbent operators, is a relevant issue. Despite its importance, little empirical research has addressed the effects of such a separation. Accordingly, this paper provides insights into the consequences of the Italian communications regulatory authority's (AgCom) decision to impose this type of separation on the incumbent telecommunications operator, Telecom Italia. In particular, the studied separation is between the firm's network-related functions, and those used for provision of its communication services. The present research finds that the type of separation implemented by AgCom allows a provider to maintain the advantages of operational scale in its network structure without dampening competition in the existing market for communications services. The study also offers further empirical evidence on the advantages of a composite vs. translog function in analyzing the multiproduct cost structure of a telecommunications operator.     

Telecommunications planning and the power of expertise

The article points out the often neglected political importance of telecommunications planning experts. It does so by first locating policy planning in the larger socletal phenomenon of technocracy. Next discussed is the relationship of policy planners to political power. Finally the article examines some instances of national telecommunications planning, in particular the USA.     

A tale of two reforms: Telecommunications reforms in Mexico

The telecommunications industry in most parts of the world experienced a round of market-led reforms in the early 1990s. After a period of sustained development in the sector numerous countries are moving toward government-led network deployments. Even though it may appear as if the pendulum swung back to the previous 1990s period of government-led development, this paper argues persistent regional disparities in access and adoption of new technologies generated a need for public action in the second reform. By analyzing the Mexican case and comparing the policy choices in each one of the reforms, this paper sheds light on how particular policy decisions in the first reform generated inefficient market solutions and were key in creating a perception of the need for stronger public action. In both reforms, the policymaking process was carried out by a small elite that negotiated its contents behind closed doors. Paradoxically, within the transition to democracy, in the second reform, the leaders of the major political parties established a closed-door agreement. Even though the 2013 telecommunications reform improved the status quo, it did not decrease market concentration and, once again, we face low levels of investment and high levels of digital exclusion. By reconstructing the policy decision process in each reform, this paper argues that the closed-door policy choices taken, which were the result of the interaction of political actors with their own agenda and interests, hampered the most efficient solutions.     

An overview of Telecommunications Policy's 40-year research history: Text and bibliographic analyses

The journal, Telecommunications Policy (TP), marked its 40-year milestone in 2016. At this juncture of a 40-year milestone, this paper implements a text analysis with keyword frequency data derived from the abstracts of papers published over the past 40 years to take a look at the big picture of key concepts that constitute the journal's research subjects. With keywords and bibliographic data, this paper calculates key research indexes to overview the dynamic changes in research focuses in the journal. This paper found that the differences in research performance across research subjects within three continents has declined over time, even though wide differences in research performance across subjects within nations still exist, and that the mid-1990s marked a watershed dividing the 40-year history into two parts.     

Economies of Scale and Scope in Australian Telecommunications

This paper employs a composite cost function toexamine the cost structure of Australian telephoneservices. The composite cost model combines thelog-quadratic input price structure of the translogmodel with a quadratic structure for multiple outputs. Quadratic output structures permit the measurement ofeconomies of scale, economies of scope, andsubadditivity without prejudging their presence. Model estimates, on Telstra system data from 1926 to1991, show that the production of Australian telephoneservices exhibits economies of scope but no rayeconomies of scale.     

Reform of telecommunications regulation in Japan and Canada

Despite demographic and political differences, Japan and Canada face many similar challenges in the development of new telecommunications policy. These include interbureaucratic conflict, reorganization initiatives by the telcos and policy development by non-elected officials. Differences include the nature of policy change, the role of economic considerations and decision-making processes. This comparative analysis concludes by suggesting that each country may learn useful lessons with respect to public involvement, local rates, local measured service and the process of regulatory change.     

Telecommunications companies: One meeting with any competitor is enough to violate the EU's competition laws and result in fines

This commentary's purpose is to review how Telfort, T-Mobile, Vodafone, and others discovered that one “meeting” of any type with any telecommunications competitor could result in fines up to 10 percent of total “turnover” under EU competition law Regulation no. 1/2003, Article 23(2)(a), and to provide planning tips on how to eliminate the potential for those adverse consequences. While competition laws do not apply solely to the telecommunications industry, they do seem to affect it disproportionately. Telecommunications companies have global reach, and some of the most stringent competition law exists in Europe. Thus, all should review the most recent telecommunications ruling from the European Court of Justice, T-Mobile Netherlands BV v. Raad van bestuur van der Nederlandse Mededingingsautoriteit C-8/08 (2009). ¹ The ruling deals with whether the one meeting was “concerted activity” in violation of Article 81(1) EC.     

Regulation to deregulation: the telecommunications sector and industrialization : Evidence from the Pacific rim and basin

Evidence from the Pacific and elsewhere suggests that countries deregulate their telecommunications sectors as economic development proceeds. Theoretical considerations support this, since arguments for (against) deregulation are mostly applicable to industrialized (developing) countries. Several such arguments are surveyed. Actual instances of telecommunications deregulation in Pacific countries are also cited to confirm this hypothesis. The scarcity and simplicity of telecommunications in early development stages favour cooperative, regulated solutions; as technological progress makes services more abundant and varied, competitive, deregulated approaches become more attractive.     

Independence and the regulatory state—Telecommunications in Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom

In the autumn of 2014 the residents of Scotland, but not other parts of the UK, will vote on whether to leave the UK and to become a separate state, with a positive vote leading to an independent parliament expected to be elected in 2016. It would remain within the EU and in compliance with its acquis communitaire. This paper identifies issues that would have to be addressed in preparing for and creating a new system of governance for telecommunications markets on that tight timescale.     

The moral hazard of Lax FCC land use oversight for advanced network infrastructure

This article discusses issues that arise when service providers place network equipment on publicly owned lands in the United States. Based on land use policy at the Federal Communications Commission, this paper theorizes that the use of public lands for 5G network development will create a moral hazard, as service providers may be tempted to take risks in the way they use public lands. Per economic theory the firm could behave recklessly when knowing that the costs will be borne by someone else – in this case local citizens. This is an example of the moral hazard problem in economics.     

UK strategy - the momentum of change

In July 1980, the UK government set into motion a programme of reform for telecommunications. The British Telecommunications Act 1981 maintains British Telecom's exclusive privilege but provides for market entry in network transmission, services and attachments. The process continues with a new Telecommunications Bill, currently being considered by Parliament, which will make shares available to the public and allow for the creation of a new Office of Telecommunications (OFTEL). Jonathan Solomon considers the impact of the new legislation on the UK telecommunications environment.