Abstract
This chapter explores one of the essential pre-conditions of successful e-government implementation, a reliable and affordable telecommunications market, and considers whether an independent regulatory body overseeing a competitive telecommunications market is essential to achieving that outcome. The chapter discusses the primary regulatory principles that are necessary to support e-government and the functions of a telecommunications regulatory regime: price regulation , spectrum management, licensing , universal services and access, cybersecurity , competition and consumer protection . Based on these principles, national ICT policy areas that should be given priority are identified. The chapter then focuses on the economic situation facing Pacific Island countries (PICs) and its impact on telecommunications markets . It includes a simple study of the cost of supporting an independent ICT regulator indexed against population and gross domestic product. A number of other key issues emerge from this discussion: the affordability of regulation; connectivity (also a critical market issue for PICs); the management of international telecommunications gateways; and some issues related to regulations and markets affecting PICs. The chapter concludes with some comment on possible solutions that would assist PICs to develop robust telecommunications markets to support e-government and economic growth.
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Notes
- 1.
A regulator is an institution that oversees and regulates a market, in this case a telecommunications market, to ensure that the market operates in a fair and efficient way, and complies with any relevant legislation.
- 2.
Regulators should not automatically impose price regulation, especially for new services. It is not unusual for regulators to allow the market to set prices for new services and only regulate if necessary.
- 3.
For example, see websites of the ICT regulators in the UK (OFCOM: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/) or Australia ACMA: http://www.acma.gov.au/.
- 4.
One extreme example is a recent regulatory pricing decision by the New Zealand Commerce Commission which took nearly three years and involved nine distinct consultations and 23 rounds of industry submissions and cross submissions (Commerce Commission 2016).
- 5.
The GSM (Groupe Spéciale Mobile) and the GSM Association which comprises mobile operators, is focused on ensuring that mobile operators have timely and affordable access to appropriate spectrum to meet the rapidly growing demand for mobile broadband services (GSMA 2016).
- 6.
This must include voice, text messaging, and data download speed minimum of at least 21 Mbps and upload speed of at least 12 Mbps.
- 7.
APCERT is an organisation comprised of CERTs established in developed countries around the Asia Pacific, including Australia, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, and several others.
- 8.
Tonga recently announced the opening of a national CERT in the capital Nukuʻalofa. see http://www.mic.gov.to/news-today/press-releases/6159-pm-launched-tonga-national-cert.
- 9.
The Samoan regulator also regulates the energy industry.
- 10.
Data for the Pacific Islands regulators was provided in-confidence and is not reported explicitly here.
- 11.
For example, the scoping benchmarks for Tonga and the Federated States of Micronesia, as the next largest countries by population. Tonga has since announced that it will be setting up an independent ICT regulatory agency.
- 12.
Reductions in regulatory costs may be achieved by sharing regulatory expenses with other countries. This may be via a shared regulator or by sharing specific regulatory functions, such as spectrum management. A more detailed discussion of these options is beyond the scope of this paper.
- 13.
C-band is the name given by the ITU to a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies, (between 4 and 8 GHz) that is allocated to satellite communications.
- 14.
Where there is only one international gateway it accesses a geostationary C-band satellite service such as from Intelsat, SES New Skies or APStar.
- 15.
Where submarine cable is not a viable option, it is increasingly common for main connectivity to be provided by the O3b satellite service, while the original C-band satellite service is retained for backup and domestic long-distance services.
- 16.
The European Commission determines that an entity has Significant Market Power if it “enjoys a position of economic strength affording it the power to behave to an appreciable extent independently of its competitors, customers and ultimately consumers” (European Commission 2002).
- 17.
Regulatory scrutiny of wholesale prices is addressed under the more general discussion of price regulation in the main discussion.
- 18.
The first substantial step towards the European Union was the formation of the European Coal and Steel Community with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1951. ECTEL was formed in 2000 as an outcome of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, a regional organisation that commenced in 1981. ECTEL reference https://www.itu.int/ITU-D/treg/Events/Seminars/GSR/DSR/documents/Document17.pdf.
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Louey-Gung, B. (2017). Regulation, Access and Connectivity in Pacific Island states. In: Cullen, R., Hassall, G. (eds) Achieving Sustainable E-Government in Pacific Island States. Public Administration and Information Technology, vol 27. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50972-3_4
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