Liberalizing Telecommunications and the Role of the World Trade Organization

In February 1997, sixty-nine governments of high-income and developing countries agreed to liberalize their basic telecommunications services under an agreement negotiated through the World Trade Organization. Most participants in the agreement have subscribed to procompetitive regulatory principles, including independent regulators, competitive safeguards, measures to ensure interconnection, universal service obligations, and transparent and nondiscriminatory practices in licensing. The markets affected by the arrangement represent more than 90 percent of the world market for telecommunications. The author reviews the evolution of the agreement and argues that the critical issues now are ensuring the quality of implementation and setting up a procompetitive regulatory environment.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	Primo Braga, Carlos A.
Format:	Viewpoint biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 1997-07
Subjects:	ACCOUNTING, AGRICULTURE, CARTEL, CELLULAR TELEPHONY, COMMERCIAL PRESENCE, COMMUNICATION SERVICES, COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE, COMPETITIVE PRACTICES, COMPETITIVENESS, CONSUMERS, CONSUMPTION ABROAD, CROSS-BORDER SUPPLY, DATA TRANSMISSION, DIRECT INVESTMENT, FINANCIAL SERVICES, FOREIGN PROVIDERS, GATS, INFORMATICS, INNOVATIONS, INTERNATIONAL TRADE, MARKET ACCESS, MARKET ACCESS COMMITMENTS, MFN, MFN EXEMPTIONS, MODES OF SUPPLY, MONOPOLIES, MOVEMENT OF NATURAL PERSONS, MULTILATERAL DISCIPLINES, MULTILATERAL TRADE, NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY, NATIONAL TREATMENT, NATURAL PERSONS, NETWORKS, PRIVATE SECTOR, PROVISION OF SERVICES, QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS, RADIO, REGULATORY AUTHORITIES, REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, REGULATORY PRINCIPLES, REGULATORY REGIMES, SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS, SERVICES LIBERALIZATION, SERVICES TRADE, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TELECOMMUNICATION, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE, TELECOMMUNICATIONS REVENUES, TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES, TELEDENSITY, TELEPHONE LINES, TELEPHONY, TRADE IN SERVICES, TRADE NEGOTIATIONS, UNIVERSAL SERVICE, UNIVERSAL SERVICE OBLIGATIONS, URUGUAY ROUND, VALUE ADDED, VALUE ADDED SERVICES, VOICE TELEPHONY, WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION, WTO INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS, MULTILATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS, CONSUMER PRICES, PRIVATE INVESTMENTS, DEREGULATION, GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP, MARKET COMPETITION,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/1997/07/441663/liberalizing-telecommunications-role-world-trade-organization http://hdl.handle.net/10986/11578
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!