Innovation and Regulation in the Telecommunications Sector
Since the mid 1980s, the regulatory framework of the telecommunications sector has been undergoing a process of reform on an international scale. Market conditions have to be adjusted to technological change. Regulation is an element of technology policy, as it provides incentives for the development and diffusion of new technologies and services. In general, any regulatory reform must be based on the understanding that new instruments (e.g., auctioning) have to be developed, that regulation frequently demands an international harmonization of strategies and measures, and that the maintenance of the technical and legal rules applied to traditional telecommunication services (telephony) without due consideration of changing conditions may hinder the emergence of innovative applications, such as electronic commerce.