Telecommunications reforms in China: towards an analytical framework

This paper reviews and analyzes changing telecommunications policies in China since the inception of the so-called “Open Policy”. It is argued that these changes should be understood as the results of a delicate balance between (1) government considerations (including the state's desire to provide universal coverage, control the telecommunications industry and, more recently, improve the efficiency of state-owned enterprises), (2) the call from foreigners (sometimes made through their governments) to open China's telecommunications industry and to seek profits, and (3) the overwhelming demand of the Chinese population and the business sector (including foreign firms operating in China) to have freer and more rapid movement of information. Over time, the interplay of these forces has led to the liberalization of China's telecommunications industry. These moves towards liberalization took place in four stages. During stages one (Pre-1994) and two (1994–1997), only half-hearted reforms were introduced to separate government administration from business enterprises and to foster very weak domestic competition. During stage three (1998–1999), there were reforms to the regulatory framework and measures towards liberalization. From 2000 onwards, a solid legal foundation was laid after nearly a decade of gradual reform. Moreover, there has been some remarkable organizational restructuring since June 2001.     

Research in West Germany

In early 1976, the West German Federal Commission for Development of the Telecommunication System (Kommission fuer den Ausbau des technischen Kommunikationssystems) published its study on the future development of telecommunications. The main recommendation of the federal commission was the extension of ‘conventional’ services (ie telephone, telex). Three and a half years later, one can argue that nothing has changed fundamentally in the telecommunication sector in West Germany.     

New Technology in West Germany: the employment debate

In view of high unemployment, one major issue of concern within the German population is the impact of new technology on the labour market. This article examines the problem of determining and predicting effects of technological change on employment and discusses the development of job structure, work organisation and skill requirements.     

Hierarchies and markets: An empirical test of the multidivisional hypothesis in West Germany

Whereas previous empirical studies have found performance gains from the adoption of multidivisional organization in U.S. and U.K. companies, this paper reports a reduction in profitability for German M-form firms for several years following reorganization, with no sign of an eventual positive gain. These results emerge from a cross-section analysis of 48 among the top 100 German companies. We suggest the constrasting results may flow from certain legal and institutional features, not present in the U.S. and U.K., attenuating potential gains and enlarging short-run transactions costs. These include the role of the banks, the relative concentration of shareholdings and the dual system of company boards.     

Trade unions and new technology in West Germany

The attitudes and policy orientations of the West German unions to the development and utilisation of new technologies have changed substantially over the past three decades. Contemporary union policies are more critical and more politically oriented: the changes which they seek, to more successfully influence technological developments, have potentially crucial significance for the future character and stability of the West German industrial relations system.     

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.     

Creativity techniques in product planning and development: A view from West Germany

The author advocates the use of formalised heuristic principles and teamwork as the cornerstone of creativity techniques on which he has written papers in German, and in view of the interest aroused has taken the opportunity to write a summary for an English-language journal. The purpose of the paper is to review the large number available, to indicate their most profitable field of use and their limitations. He classifies the techniques into four main groups, intuitive association, intuitive confrontation, systematic variation and systematic confrontation. Brainstorming is an example of the first, excursive synectics of the second, morphological analysis of the third and the morphological matrix of the last. He briefly summarises the method employed by about 20 of the 50 he says exist.
The paper concludes with some advice to potential users of the methods and a review of the use made of them in German industry.     

Government support of clean technology research in West Germany: some evidence

The authors have set out to review the procedures used in the allocation of public money by the Federal German government for research into 'clean' technologies. Public sponsorship of this kind of research is necessary as industrial firms rarely see enough return for their R&D investment to warrant their carrying it out. The authors have surveyed the methods used by the government funding agency (BMFT) to identify projects and to allocate money to them. 82 projects were included in the survey in the fields of low-emission processes.
Projects were segmented in five ways: Status of the receiver; Type of technology; R&D stage (from basic through demonstration plant); Cooperative versus non-cooperative, Environmental medium. Their broad conclusions are that (a) most of the funds went to projects for the development of 'end-of-the-pipe-cum-recycling' technologies and integrated technologies, (b) where there was cooperation between a firm and a university the R&D concentrated on studying basic principles, and (c) success depends on the existence of a clear strategy for the research as a whole rather than on ad hoc monitoring against a narrowly conceived plan. The authors also summarise the problems met in ensuring that money allocated in this way is effectively used.     

Telecommunications and Sub-Saharan Africa : The continuing crisis

Telecommunications growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is chronically slower than in the rest of the developing world, primarily because it has not been given the necessary priority by governments. This article identifies nine fundamental areas which weaken financial and technical performance of the telecommunications sector, and explains their effects in the region. The author describes some plausible measures for reform in each area, and the role of international institutions and experts in encouraging change. The author warns that the leaders of Sub-Saharan countries need to realize the importance of communication in order to make available the adequate resources.     

Telecommunications market structure in the USA: The effects of deregulation and divestiture

AT&T divestiture of its 22 operating companies in January 1984 ended the world's largest vertically integrated channel of telecommunications distribution. At the same time, customer premise equipment sales were deregulated in the USA by the FCC. This article explores the background policies which led to the changes, and examines the marketing opportunities which have arisen, together with likely future structural changes. The author concludes that the network will become more competitive and more responsive to customers' unique equipment needs.     

Telecommunications services in France: The regulated monopoly and the challenge of competition

Classical microeconomic modelling cannot alone explain the present trend of telecommunications deregulation. Based upon an examination of the French situation, the author argues that the current phenomenon should be viewed more as a game between three main players whose behaviour can be analysed using principles of industrial organization. The traditional telecommunications monopoly is bound to react defensively in response to increasingly powerful demand, stimulated by technical innovations, while at the same time the public policy maker searches for modern regulatory principles. Demand, as represented by large corporate customers, will probably trigger the next step in the game between the three players.     

Turbulence and growth in West Germany: A comparison of evidence by regions and industries

This article investigates the relationship between some aspects of market dynamics and economic development in subsequent time periods. Different approaches to test a turbulence-growth hypothesis are compared using data on entries and exits in West Germany. Analyses on the levels of industries and regions come to contradicting results. The discussion of these contradictions leads to two main conclusions: (1) only interregional analysis provides a proper test of the turbulence-growth hypothesis, and (2) such an analysis on the level of regions must account for the industrial structure within the regions. In the regional context, a positive relation between entry rate and economic development can only be found for start-ups in manufacturing.     

Telecommunications infrastructure competition: The costs of delay

This paper examines the experience of the USA, the UK and other OECD countries that introduced infrastructure competition, principally for long-distance telephone service, during the 1980s. The results show that competition has generally brought lower prices, greater variety of service, faster innovation, higher usage and productivity gains, and increased output both in telecommunications and in other sectors of the economy. The evidence is now convincing that the economic benefits from competition outweigh the highly visible costs and disruptions to established organizations and relations. Other countries can learn from the pioneers' experience to reduce the uncertainties and costs resulting from the transition to competition.     

Telecommunications and education in the USA

The author examines the use of technology and telecommunications in various subsectors of education. Included in the examination are metropolitan communications networks for education, costs and economies of scale, and the federal role in technological innovation in education. He concludes with recommendations for additional studies aimed at achieving increased social benefits from the use of technology in education within metropolitan areas.