Internet Access : Regulatory Levers for a Knowledge Economy

Internet Access : Regulatory Levers for a Knowledge Economy

Internet access depends on four critical players: First, providers of telecommunications infrastructure (bandwidth capacity) for international access to the global Internet backbone. Second, providers of national long-distance telecommunications tr...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Mustafa, Mohammad A.
Format: Viewpoint
Language:English
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2012
Subjects:
INTERNET
TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE
CONNECTIVITY
BROADBAND
MODEMS
NETWORKS & TECHNOLOGIES
REMOTE ACCESS
BANDWIDTHS
ACCESS CHARGES
ACCESS TO THE INTERNET
BACKBONE
BACKBONES
BANDWIDTH
BANDWIDTH CAPACITY
BROADBAND NETWORK
BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS
CABLE MODEM
CABLE TELEVISION
CALLS
CAPABILITIES
COMMERCE
COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
COMMUNITIES
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
COMPONENTS
CONSUMER RIGHTS
COPPER TELEPHONE LINES
COPYRIGHT
DELIVERY TIMES
DIGITAL
DIGITAL NETWORK
DIGITAL SIGNATURES
DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER
DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
DSL
ECONOMIES OF SCALE
ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS
ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS
END USERS
EQUIPMENT
HIGH-BANDWIDTH
HIGH-SPEED
HIGH-SPEED ACCESS
INCUMBENT OPERATORS
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDERS
INNOVATIONS
INSTALLATION
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION
INTERNET ACCESS
INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS
INTERNET SERVICES
INTERNET TRAFFIC
ISDN
ISP
ISPS
KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY
LEASED LINES
LICENSING
LOCAL CALLS
LOOPS
MULTIMEDIA
MULTIPLE SERVICE PROVIDERS
NETWORK ACCESS
NETWORK ACCESS POINTS
NETWORKS
ONLINE TRANSACTIONS
PEERING
POLICY SUPPORT
PRIVATE SECTOR
PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT
PROTECTION OF PRIVACY
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
RESULT
SATELLITE
SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS
SERVICE QUALITY
SLA
SUBSCRIBER LINES
SWITCHING
TAXATION
TELECOM
TELECOM INFRASTRUCTURE
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
TELEPHONE
TRANSMISSION
UNIVERSAL ACCESS
WIRELESS
WIRELESS SERVICE INTERNET
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/03/16253105/internet-access-regulatory-levers-knowledge-economy
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/11321
Description
Summary:Internet access depends on four critical players: First, providers of telecommunications infrastructure (bandwidth capacity) for international access to the global Internet backbone. Second, providers of national long-distance telecommunications transmission capacity (such as leased lines) to connect Internet service providers (ISPs) with one another and with international connectivity nodes. Third, providers of local loop access (narrowband and analogue, such as traditional copper wire connections, or broadband and digital, such as digital subscriber lines [DSL], cable television modems, and fixed wireless service). Fourth, ISPs, which provide Internet services to customers using these layers of networks. Expanding Internet access requires cooperative behavior by these players, and regulators have a key role in ensuring such behavior. A regulatory strategy for doing so focuses on promoting the telecommunications infrastructure, enabling viable ISPs, ensuring efficient pricing, maintaining appropriate service quality, supporting diffusion in remote areas, and ensuring legal certainty for electronic transactions. Promoting the telecommunications Infrastructure - competition is key. So regulators should take a permissive approach to licensing multiple financially sound providers (owners and resellers) of telecommunications infrastructure for international connectivity, alternative national long distance networks, and local loop access. To ensure competition in the ISP market, regulators should require no formal licensing for ISPs; simple registration should suffice.

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