Convergence in Information and Communication Technology : Strategic and Regulatory Considerations

This book is a compilation of two recently completed works on the convergence of information and communication technology (ICT) (Singh and Raja 2008, 2009). Since then, convergence, the eroding of boundaries among previously separate ICT services, networks, and business practices, has accelerated and deepened. At the time these reports were written, convergence was already a reality and was picking up pace in low-income countries, as in the rest of the world. Now, as this introduction summarizes, broadband networks are reaching deeper into previously unserved areas. The growing number of people connected to broadband networks are consuming, sharing, and creating new multimedia content and applications. And they are doing this on handheld and portable devices that are less costly and do more than before. All sorts of users, governments, businesses, individuals, and ICT firms, are looking to cut costs while capturing greater value. Taken together, these trends indicate that convergence is set to accelerate even through the ongoing global economic downturn. Countries that enable convergence through appropriate policy and regulatory responses will realize significant benefits in terms of expanded access, lower prices, and greater competition. Chapter two of this book focuses on the strategic implications of convergence and possible policy responses. Chapter three focuses on emerging regulatory practices facilitating multiple plays, or the provision of multiple services, such as voice telephony, broadcasting, and Internet access, by one operator over a single communications network, typically telephone or cable television but increasingly mobile and fixed wireless networks. The book concludes by presenting several best-practice principles for regulatory responses to multiple plays and, to some extent, to convergence more generally. Indeed, the main task for regulators is to remove artificial barriers and restrictions that are remnants of legacy regulation, thus clearing the way for market forces to play out, promoting the public interest, and leading to the realization of a range of benefits for users.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Singh, Rajendra, Raja, Siddhartha
Language:	English
Published:	World Bank 2010
Subjects:	3G, ACCESS TO SERVICES, AUCTIONS, BACKBONE, BANDWIDTH, BARRIERS TO ENTRY, BASIC, BEST PRACTICE, BEST-PRACTICE, BROADBAND, BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY, BROADBAND NETWORK, BROADBAND NETWORKS, BROADBAND TELEPHONY, BROADCAST, BROADCASTING, BROADCASTING SERVICES, BUSINESS ENTITIES, BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT, BUSINESS MODELS, BUSINESS SERVICES, BUSINESSES, CABLE TELEVISION, CABLE TV, CAPABILITY, CAPACITY BUILDING, CELLULAR NETWORK, CELLULAR NETWORKS, CITIES, CLIENT COUNTRIES, CODE DIVISION MULTIPLE ACCESS, COMMUNICATION SERVICE, COMMUNICATION SERVICES, COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES, COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE, COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK, COMMUNITIES, COMPETITION LAW, COMPETITION POLICY, COMPUTER USERS, COMPUTING, CONTENT CREATION, CONTENT CREATORS, CONTENT PROVIDERS, COPYING, COPYRIGHT, DATA COMPRESSION, DATA NETWORKS, DATA PROCESSING, DATA SERVICES, DATA TRANSMISSION, DECISION MAKERS, DEMOCRACY, DIGITAL, DIGITAL DATA, DIGITAL DEVICES, DIGITAL PHOTOS, DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER, DIGITAL TELEPHONE, DIGITAL TELEVISION, DIGITAL VIDEO, DIGITALIZATION, DISTANCE EDUCATION, DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS, DOI, DOMAINS, E-GOVERNANCE, E-MAIL, E-MAILS, ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, ECONOMIC COOPERATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIES OF SCALE, ELECTRICITY, ENABLING ENVIRONMENT, ENTERTAINMENT, EQUIPMENT, FINANCIAL REPORTS, FINANCIAL SERVICES, GICT, GOVERNMENT POLICY, GOVERNMENT RESTRICTIONS, HIGH-SPEED, ICT, IMAGES, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION, INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK, INTERNET ACCESS, INTERNET NETWORKS, INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER, INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS, INTERNET SERVICES, INTERNET TELEPHONY, INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE, ISP, JOURNALS, LEGAL ENVIRONMENT, LEGAL FRAMEWORK, LICENSE, LICENSES, LICENSING, MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, MARKET DEMAND, MARKET SEGMENTS, MASS MARKET, MATERIAL, MOBILE NETWORKS, MOBILE PHONE, MOBILE PHONE SUBSCRIBERS, MOBILE PHONES, MOBILE SERVICE, MOBILE TELEPHONE, MOBILE TELEPHONES, MOBILE TELEPHONY, MONITORS, MULTIMEDIA, MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATIONS, MULTIPLE ACCESS, MULTIPLE SERVICE PROVIDERS, NETWORK ACCESS, NETWORK DEPLOYMENT, NETWORK DEVELOPMENT, NETWORK GROWTH, NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE, NETWORK MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, NETWORKING, NETWORKS, NEW MARKET, NEW MARKETS, NEW TECHNOLOGIES, ONLINE ADVERTISING, ONLINE SERVICES, OPEN ACCESS, PC, PENETRATION OF BROADBAND, PERSONAL COMPUTER, POLICY FORMULATION, POLICY FRAMEWORK, POLICY FRAMEWORKS, PORTABLE DEVICES, PRIVATE INVESTMENT, PROGRAMS, PROTOCOL, QUALITY OF SERVICE, QUERIES, RADIO, RADIO SPECTRUM, RADIO STATIONS, REGULATORY AGENCIES, REGULATORY CHALLENGES, REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT, REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS, REGULATORY PRINCIPLES, REGULATORY REFORM, REGULATORY REGIMES, RESULT, RESULTS, ROUTER, ROUTERS, SATELLITE, SERVICE PROVIDERS, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT, SUBSCRIBER LINE, TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT, TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION, TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS, TELECOM, TELECOMMUNICATION, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES, TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY, TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRIES, TELECOMMUNICATIONS MARKETS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS OPERATORS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY, TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROVIDER, TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROVIDERS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR, TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES, TELEGEOGRAPHY, TELEPHONE, TELEPHONE COMPANIES, TELEPHONE NETWORK, TELEPHONE SERVICE, TELEPHONE SERVICES, TELEPHONY, TELEPHONY SERVICES, TEXT, TRADITIONAL BUSINESSES, UNIVERSAL SERVICE, UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUNDS, USER, USERS, USES, VIDEO, VIDEOS, VOICE TELEPHONY, VOICE-OVER-INTERNET PROTOCOL, VOIP, WEB, WEB SITES, WIRELESS, WIRELESS ACCESS, WIRELESS SERVICES, WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES, WIRELESS TELEPHONY,
Online Access:	http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000333037_20100304234634 https://hdl.handle.net/10986/2417
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