Policy and Regulation

Generally speaking, policies are the general objectives and directions set out by governments. Regulations are intended to put the policies into effect. Regulators administer and enforce the regulations. There will be variations in policies, regulations and the role and structure of the regulatory authority according to the decisions of each country’s government.

Traditionally, telecommunications was a regulated government monopoly. In the past several decades, there has been a major shift to an open marketplace which has seen the emergence of multiple service providers and often intense competition resulting in reduced rates and increased service offerings to end users. The benefits of competition are undeniable as there are many examples of limited telecommunications environments that have experienced tremendous growth in the number of subscribers and expansion in the range of services offered within short timeframes once competition was allowed.

At the same time, regulators have wished to see service provided on a universal basis and not just in those areas where it is profitable. This has resulted in various approaches to universal service funds which aim to subsidize the delivery of services where they would otherwise not be profitable so that populations in such areas are not disadvantaged.

Many of the seminars and workshops conducted by the ITU over the years include presentations on policy and regulatory topics. These should be scanned for specific documents of interest to someone working in this area. Further details may be found at [insert link].