Search

A study was conducted to examine the political economy of three significant policy decisions of the Congress-United Progressive Alliance government between November 2005 and February 2006. It is concluded that the globalization-friendly strategy within the telecommunications sector in India depended on the particular industrial sub-sector that the ruling party supported.

The main tenets and principles of the asymmetrical regulations for the fundamentally redesigned telecommunications market are discussed. National asymmetrical regulation cannot be a conclusive point and calls for further investigation by the European Commission (EC).

Asymmetric or over-regulation of the electronics communications sector could adversely affect the telecom market's new initiatives to maintain, enlarge or modernize network. Inappropriately designed regulation can hamper effective competition resulting in considerable welfare losses.

The processes utilized by the government in assessing the performance of the FCC are invalid in that they provide an inaccurate portrait of FCC behavior. The recommendations provided by such studies are aimed at increasing the influence of Congress and the White House over the FCC in addition to being used as signals of displeasure with FCC performance. Improving the FCC's public service is not the central objective of these analyses.

Telecommunications policy in developing countries is often subject to the ministry-policy-operational functions of the incumbent whose aims are often at odds with the real goal of furthering telecommunications infrastructure and services. Making matters worse for developing countries is the prohibitive orientation toward state capitalism and state monopolies. Such does not complement the characteristics of genuine reform which endorses degovernmentalization, corporatization, privatization and demonopolization.

Several issues need to be addressed before policies regarding the granting of universal access to online telecommunications services are adopted. One major area of contention involves the target of universal access or whether it means access to communications or access to the information content of such communications. This issue has its roots in the US Constitution which allows the government to establish a postal service but also guarantees the inviolability of messages that are sent across such systems.

The controversy over whether the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications should remain a monopoly or submit to competitors has resulted in its liaison with the ministries of Electronics Industry, Railways and Electric Power. This move may help curb foreign competition.

Congressional affairs behind the regional Bell operating companies' and the newspaper industry's conflict reflect historical events in the 1930s and the impact of the Biltmore Agreement. The Bell companies contend that a fiber-opticnetwork is advantageous to the public while publishers argue against limited information sources. Consumer groups oppose the Bell companies' move as monopolistic while activists for the handicapped support the expansion. However, the latter is interpreted by some as exploitative of the handiicapped for all its good intentions.

The 2008 presidential candidates are competing to attract the attention and funds of the high-tech sector at the Silicon Valley. Tech money support projects a candidate as a modern-thinker, and Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have attracted substantial funding so far. However, many corporate executives are waiting for the candidates to announce their message on energy policy and clean technology.

Data from 33 US states are used to determine the effect of collection of site commission either by fixed terms or percentage-of-revenue on prison collect call rates. States that collect percentage-of-revenue commissions have call rates that are 41% higher than those that collect fixed commissions.

Various situations are cited, which reveal clearly that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US involved in high stakes cannot be completely independent from political influence. The FCC is considered to be quite partisan, with its numerous chairmen having worked in Capitol Hill earlier, although the new chairman, Kevin Martin, intends to coordinate with both Republican and Democratic regulators.