Mexico's international telecommunications policy: Origins,the WTO dispute,and future challenges

Mexico is by far Latin America's largest trader and the country with the most free trade agreements. Notwithstanding the success of its trade policy, the liberalization of its telecommunications sector was limited and generated a dispute at the WTO. This article offers an overview of Mexico's trade policy, with special emphasis on its policy regarding trade in telecommunications services and the 2002–2004 Mexico–United States dispute over telecommunications at the WTO. The dispute is the first one over trade in telecommunications services at the WTO and has generated interest among many developed and developing countries.     

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.     

The effects of international telecommunication investment: Wireline and wireless technologies, 1993–1998

In the 1990s, nations in the world from Singapore and Egypt to France and the United States poured billions of dollars into investments in information and telecommunication technologies. This article examines the effects of telecommunications investments from 1993 to 1998 using a model, which suggests that a delay in learning and adjustment is realized before the benefit and that it is (1) the transfer of information and knowledge and (2) the experience with telecommunications technology that contribute to economic performance of a nation. The research addresses the use of both traditional wireline and emerging wireless telecommunications and a nation's investments in telecommunications. The article concludes with a discussion of the results as well as the implications of the proposed learning model.     

Public private partnerships as a tool for stimulating investments in broadband

The paper is concerned with PPP in the telecommunications area and more specifically with the combination of public and private investments in upgrading broadband infrastructures. Following the liberalization of the telecommunications area, investments were primarily left to the private sector – though public investments have continued to take place in specific areas such as research and education networks and rural and otherwise underserved areas. Lately, however, governments have upgraded their public investment plans in broadband infrastructures. The question is whether we are witnessing a simple quantitative change or whether this quantitative change includes a qualitative evolvement in the view on the role of the public sector in expanding broadband infrastructures. At the present time, the most likely answer is that increasing public investments in broadband infrastructures signal a combination of concerns raised by the economic crisis and the growing awareness of the social and economic importance of efficient broadband infrastructures.     

The impact of trade liberalization in telecommunications services: The case of APEC countries

This paper examines the impact of liberalizing the telecommunications services sector on investment and output in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries by estimating a system of four structural equations that takes into account the causal relationship between national income and telecommunications infrastructure. The degree of openness to trade in telecommunications is represented by a carefully constructed index that reflects a country’s trade and investment policy in terms of market access, national treatment and regulatory principles. One interesting finding from the empirical analysis is that the effects of trade liberalization depend on the risk rating of a country. In countries with relatively high risk ratings liberalization reduces investment in telecommunications.     

Economic growth,telecommunications development and productivity growth of the telecommunications sector: Evidence around the world

This paper studies the relationships between economic growth, telecommunications development and productivity growth of the telecommunications sector in different countries and regions of the world. In particular, this study assesses the impact of mobile telecommunications on economic growth and telecommunications productivity. The results indicate that there is a bidirectional relationship between real gross domestic product (GDP) and telecommunications development (as measured by teledensity) for European and high-income countries. However, when the impact of mobile telecommunications development on economic growth is measured separately, the bi-directional relationship is no longer restricted to European and high-income countries. This study also finds that countries in the upper-middle income group have achieved a higher average total factor productivity (TFP) growth than other countries. Countries with competition and privatization in telecommunications have achieved a higher TFP growth than those without competition and privatization. The diffusion of mobile telecommunications services is found to be a significant factor that has improved the TFP growth of the telecommunications sector in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).     

Can collusion promote sustainable consumption and production?

Several competition authorities consider the exemption of horizontal agreements among firms from antitrust liability if the agreements sufficiently promote public interest objectives such as sustainable consumption and production. We show that when consumers value sustainable products and firms choose investments in sustainability before choosing output or prices, coordination of output choices or prices boosts investments in sustainability and may even enhance consumer surplus when products are sufficiently close substitutes and the marginal cost of investment in sustainability is relatively low. By contrast, coordination of investments in sustainability leads to lower investments and harms consumers.     

制度差异风险与中国对外直接投资——双边投资协定与贸易依存度的调节效应研究

本文分别从理论与实证两个层面探讨了制度差异风险对中国OFDI 的影响。在理论层面通过模型构造论证了双边投资协定和双边贸易依存度对制度差异风险的调节效应：稀释效应与累积效应。在此基础上,选取2006-2015 年中国“一带一路”沿线41 个国家和地区样本,对理论假设进行了经验检验。研究表明：制度差异风险对中国OFDI 产生负面影响且具有门槛效应,中国更倾向于投资制度风险接近的国家;双边投资协定对中国OFDI 具有正向促进作用且对发展中国家作用更大,双边投资协定在一定程度上可以替代东道国的制度缺位,稀释制度差异风险对中国OFDI 的负面影响;双边贸易依存度有益于中国OFDI 且对发达国家作用更大,双边贸易依存度通过加强制度学习和经验积累,对制度差异风险具有反向调节作用。     

The Canada-US Free Trade Agreement and the telecommunications industry

The Canada-US Free Trade Agreement, which came into effect on 1 January 1989, could well prove to be a breakthrough in the liberalization of trade between the two countries. This paper highlights the provisions of the FTA that indirectly or directly affect the telecommunications industry, assesses their possible impact and evaluates their probable importance to different participants in the industry. The authors make many predictions as to the effects of this agreement in terms of both telecommunications equipment and services and foresee greater competition and larger markets.     

Firm non‐market capabilities and the effect of supranational institutional safeguards on the location choice of international investments

Research Summary : We investigate the extent to which firms rely on supranational institutional safeguards versus their non‐market capabilities to offset the risks of investing abroad. We argue that firms with non‐market capabilities are insensitive to supranational institutional safeguards when choosing the location of their international investments. We show that supranational agreements between an investor's home and host nation, operationalized as bilateral investment treaties (BITs), increase the likelihood of investment, but there is substantial firm heterogeneity with respect to this relationship. Firms with various forms of non‐market capabilities are not sensitive to BITs, whereas other firms are more likely to invest under BITs. We advance the understanding of how firm non‐market capabilities can substitute for supranational institutional arrangements in addressing risks associated with host country institutional weaknesses. Managerial Summary : The risk of expropriation is one of the main concerns companies have when investing abroad. Because of this, many countries implement bilateral investment treaties (BITs) to safeguard foreign investments, alleviate foreign investor concerns, and promote investments. We show that only those companies without political competence or political connections favor countries with BITs when choosing where to invest. Companies with political competence or political connections, on the other hand, ignore BITs and apparently rely on their ability to influence governments whenever their foreign investments face expropriation threats. As a result, politically connected or competent companies can enter markets most of their competitors lacking these capabilities shy away from. They can, therefore, do business in environments in which they face less competition.     

Financing and other issues in telecommunications development

Implementation of telecommunications infrastructure throughout developing countries is a prerequisite to national development. The fundamental question, argues Dr Parker, is how can developing countries pay for the capital investment in the necessary telecommunications equipment. The need is to encourage an institutional structure that can stimulate innovative, lower-cost appropriate rural telecommunications technologies without imposing excessive risks on the national telecommunications monopoly. With sucessful models to follow, it will be easier to achieve consensus between developing country borrowers, international lenders and telecommunications manufacturers.     

Standards, trade and competition in the emerging global information infrastructure environment

Decentralized construction of the Global Information Infrastructure (GII) is substituting market-driven, ‘de facto’ standards and voluntary agreements on standards for technical compatibility, in place of the engineering decisions once made by public (and quasi-public) telecommunications network operators. Due to strategic economic behaviours on the part of private businesses and national governments, the goal of a fully interoperable GII remains elusive. The Internet does not offer an entirely credible alternative model, as the standards that have facilitated its explosive growth also are contributing to serious congestion problems, and the solutions proposed point to the Internet's re-integration into the public switched telecommunications network. Technical standards will shape the GII's implications for international trade and competition, and thus raise important, but inadequately recognized issues for regulation, competition and trade policy.     

‘Mainline’ telecommunications infrastructure, levels of development and economic growth: Evidence from a panel of developing countries

This paper assesses the growth impact of telecommunications infrastructure investment in developing countries by subjecting country-specific data on mainline tele-density and per capita growth to a Granger causality test within a panel cointegration framework. The results suggest that growth effects vary widely across country groupings reflecting different levels of development. Mainline tele-density and per capita growth strongly reinforce each other for countries that are relatively less developed. The reinforcement effect is even stronger for emerging countries that can be identified by their higher than average growth rates. In contrast, there is, at best, weak evidence of bi-directional causal links between the two variables for countries that are relatively more developed. These differences in the mainline tele-density and per capita growth relationships suggest that investment in telecommunications infrastructure, with its potential to generate high growth return, may serve as the critical tool for driving the growth and development process forward in the less developed countries.     

The effect of political events on Japanese foreign direct investments

This article presents the findings of an investigation of the impact of conflictive and cooperative political events in 62 host countries on Japanese foreign direct investments during the period 1965 to 1980. In addition, the study provides evidence of the relative importance of economic conditions and intergovernmental relationships as determinants of foreign direct investments by Japanese firms. It is argued that in analyzing the effect of political events on foreign direct investments, one must not only take into account the conflictive political conditions within the host countries, but also cooperative political developments and changes in intergovernmental relationships. The findings of this study are compared with the results of investigating the impact of political events on foreign direct investments by United States and German multinational firms. Similarities and differences are highlighted as well as their probable causes. As such, this study makes a contribution to the conceptualization of political risk in an international business context.Dr. Hans Schollhammer is Associate Professor and Chairman of the International Management Program, Graduate School of Management, UCLA; Dr. Douglas Nigh is Assistant Professor of International Business, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania. The authors acknowledge with gratitude the financial support provided by the United States-Japan Friendship Commission for this research project.     

On access pricing in telecoms: theory and European practice

This paper discusses European legislation concerning interconnection between telecommunications operators. An important and distinct element of regulatory policy in the European Union is that operators with significant market power are required to provide cost-based interconnection whereas other operators are not required to provide such cost-based interconnection. It analyzes the consequences of different interconnection charges for competition and investments. Using recent insights from the theoretical literature on competition in telecommunications, it finds that the socially optimal regulatory policy concerning interconnection has the same characteristics as that adopted in the European Union.     

How value and trust influence loyalty in wireless telecommunications industry

Despite making significant investments in enhancing the customer service experience, long-term customer loyalty remains an elusive dream for many service providers. Particularly in the telecommunications industry, switching providers even from within continuous contract relationships is easy and companies struggle to retain their customers. Trust and value are considered cornerstones of long-term relationships, so it is perhaps surprising that previous research on how relationship age and usage level actually affect value, trust and loyalty is inconclusive. The current research is set in the telecommunications services field and draws on a large-scale survey undertaken in Finland. The findings support the contention that perceived value relates positively to loyalty, and that trust mediates that relationship. Surprisingly, in the telecommunications industry, increasing relationship age and usage level strengthen neither value and loyalty nor the links between trust and loyalty. The results may be explained by the unique characteristics of the highly competitive mobile telecommunications sector, and confirm the view that loyalty does not pay without strategies that value long-term customers and thereby build trust with new customers.     

Consumer spending behavior and telecommunications services. A multi-method inquiry

Despite the enormous capital and marketing investments anticipated by telecommunications providers and policy makers alike, there is a surprising lack of understanding about how consumers are likely to behave in the brave new world of telecom offerings. Drawing on innovative perceptual mapping, conjoint, and respondent-adjusted-demand techniques, this study presents an in-depth, multi-faceted picture of the US telecommunications consumer. Key questions are addressed such as: is there a limit to telecom spending? where does telecom fit within consumer priorities? who are the likely telecom spenders? and what types of offerings are most likely to succeed?     

Structural separation versus vertical integration: Lessons for telecommunications from electricity reforms

Structural separation between network and retail functions is increasingly being mandated in the telecommunications sector to countervail the market power of incumbent operators. Experience of separation in the electricity sector offers insights for policy-makers considering telecommunications reforms. Despite apparent competitive benefits, the costs of contracting increase markedly when short-term focused electricity retail operations are separated from longer-term generation infrastructure investments (which require large up-front fixed and sunk cost components). The combination of mismatches in investment horizons, entry barriers, and risk preference and information asymmetries between generators and retailers leads to thin contract markets, increased hold-up risk, perverse wholesale risk management incentives, and bankruptcies. Direct parallels in the telecommunications sector indicate exposure to similar complications, intensifying many of the contractual risks arising from regulated access arrangements. Thus, as in electricity, competition between vertically integrated telecommunications providers would likely induce more efficient and sustainable investment and competition than would separation.     

Financing behaviour of R&D investment in the emerging markets: the role of alliance and financial system

This paper examines the financing behaviour of research and development (R&D) investments in emerging markets. Drawing on institutional theory and using panel data of generalized methods of moment estimation for a sample of 302 firms from 20 countries during the period 2003–2015, we find that emerging market firms tend to use internal funds for financing R&D investments. Interesting results emerged when the sample was divided as alliance and non‐alliance firms, and bank‐based and market‐based financial systems. The results show that R&D financing behaves differently for alliance and non‐alliance firms. Alliance firms use both internal and external funds for R&D investments, while non‐alliance firms do not use external funds. We also document that a country's financial system influences the choice of available sources of finance. Firms from countries that follow a bank‐based financial system tend to rely on external funds while firms from countries that follow a market‐based financial system depend more on internal funds for financing R&D investments. This study is important as it provides new evidence on financing R&D investments in emerging countries taking into account the institutional arguments of financing choices, and so should guide stakeholders about appropriate sources of R&D financing.     

Analysis of an integrated plan for expanding broadband access in Colombia

Colombian telecommunications exhibit remarkable growth in the mobile sector and television market evolution and some degree of stagnation in fixed telephony and broadband access. Only recently the Colombian government has started to seriously address the need to deploy a plan for rapid and effective broadband growth, adding to the worldwide wave of government planned investments on fibre-optic broadband access expansion. This paper analyses the current state of the Colombian government’s broadband plan, named Vive Digital, comparing its proposed actions with the plans and achievements of three OECD countries’ experiences on broadband policies. Several aspects, either collectively or individually, from the three international cases are used as guidelines of what an integrated, efficient broadband policy may be. The analysis takes consideration of the contextual differences between the studied cases for the benefit of identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the Colombian plan, and is focused on the incentive structure needed to advance the development of infrastructure, services, applications and user involvement.