The evolution of telecommunications regulation

Abstract

Beginning a book which is, for the most part, resolutely technical in nature, with a chapter on regulation may seem to be paradoxical. In fact, regulation is a natural meeting point for technology, for service markets and equipment and for the actors involved, hence the need for an engineer or a researcher to grasp the principles and technical details of regulation. An insight into American and European regulations will contribute to the understanding of the change from a monopolistic situation to the current state of competition for services and infrastructures. Finally, the impact of the Internet and the explosion of the mobile market will be viewed as a new challenge, not only for operators and manufacturers, as will be seen in later chapters, but also for policymakers.