Telecommunications and Energy in Systemic Transformation: International Dynamics, Deregulation and Adjustment in Network Industries

by Paul J.J. Welfens (Editor), George Yarrow (Editor)

Overview

Paul J. J. Welfens and George Yarrow A. Telecommunications in Western Europe: Liberalization, Technological Dynamics and Regulatory Developments 9 Paul J. J. Welfens and Cornelius Graack 1. Introduction 9 2. Liberalization and Market Expansion in Telecommunications 12 2. 1 Global Forces in Telecoms Liberalization 19 2. 2 Privatization and Deregulation in Western Europe 22 2. 3 Politico-economic Deregulation Pressures 26 3. Technological Dynamics 30 3. 1 Digitization 31 3. 2 Integrated Services Digital Network 33 3. 3 Fibre Optics, Fibre to the Home and Optical Networks 35 3. 4 Mobile Communications 38 4. Regulatory Developments 40 4. 1 Regulatory Developments on the EC Level 41 4. 2 National Regulatory Frameworks: Developments and Experiences 46 4. 2. 1 Telecommunications Equipment 47 4. 2. 2 Value-added Services 49 4. 2. 3 Infrastructure 52 5. Prospects and Consequences for Central and Eastern Europe 72 Appendix 78 B. Telecommunications in Systemic Transformation: Theoretical Issues and Policy Options 85 Paul J. J. Welfens 1. Introduction 85 2. Points of Departure in Eastern Europe 90 2. 1 Structure of the Telecoms Industry in an East-West Perspective 94 2. 2 Telecoms Industry as a Strategic Industry for Systemic Transition 97 VI Telecommunications and Energy in Systemic Transformation 3. Theoretical Aspects of the Telecoms Industry 99 3. 1 Some Problems of Uniform Subscriber Pricing 99 3. 2 Competition, Natural Monopoly and Economies of Scope 102 3. 3 External Effects of Telecoms Network Expansion 109 3.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783642644412
Publisher:	Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Publication date:	09/16/2011
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1997
Pages:	501
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.04(d)

Table of Contents

A. Telecommunications in Western Europe: Liberalization, Technological Dynamics and Regulatory Developments.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Liberalization and Market Expansion in Telecommunications.- 2.1 Global Forces in Telecoms Liberalization.- 2.2 Privatization and Deregulation in Western Europe.- 2.3 Politico-economic Deregulation Pressures.- 3. Technological Dynamics.- 3.1 Digitization.- 3.2 Integrated Services Digital Network.- 3.3 Fibre Optics, Fibre to the Home and Optical Networks.- 3.4 Mobile Communications.- 4. Regulatory Developments.- 4.1 Regulatory Developments on the EC Level.- 4.2 National Regulatory Frameworks: Developments and Experiences.- 4.2.1 Telecommunications Equipment.- 4.2.2 Value-added Services.- 4.2.3 Infrastructure.- 5. Prospects and Consequences for Central and Eastern Europe.- B. Telecommunications in Systemic Transformation: Theoretical Issues and Policy Options.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Points of Departure in Eastern Europe.- 2.1 Structure of the Telecoms Industry in an East-West Perspective.- 2.2 Telecoms Industry as a Strategic Industry for Systemic Transition.- 3. Theoretical Aspects of the Telecoms Industry.- 3.1 Some Problems of Uniform Subscriber Pricing.- 3.2 Competition, Natural Monopoly and Economies of Scope.- 3.3 External Effects of Telecoms Network Expansion.- 3.4 Oligopolistic Telecoms Industries.- 3.5 Regulation of the Telecoms Industry.- 4. Policy Options for a Modern Telecoms Policy.- 4.1 Privatization of the Telecoms Industry.- 4.2 How to Accelerate Telephone Penetration.- 4.3 Special Aspects of Mobile Telecommunications.- 4.4 Innovative Use of Telecoms.- 4.5 Capital Market Aspects.- 4.6 Social Problems.- 4.7 Principles of Efficient Regulatory Policy.- 4.8 Perspectives for Poland.- C. Modernization of Telecommunications in the Former GDR.- 1. Former GDR Telecommunications System.- 2. German Unification and Telecoms Modernization.- D. Recent Evolution of Telecommunications in the Region of Central Europe.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Telecommunication Administration.- 3. Legislative Framework.- 4. Development Strategy.- 5. Network Development.- 6. Private Local Operators.- 7. Privatization of National Operators.- 8. Tariffs.- 9. Cellular Telephony.- 10. Conclusions.- E. Modernizing Telecommunications in Central and Eastern Europe: A Business Perspective.- 1. Structural Reasons for the Current Eastern Demand for Telecommunications.- 2. Pumping Fresh Money into Old Structures is Not Enough.- 3. How to Attract Investors’ Interest.- 4. Special Networks (Overlay, Mobile, Wireless Local Loop).- 5. Regulators’ Possibilities and Contradictions.- 6. Siemens’s Role as Supplier and Local Manufacturer.- F. Telecommunications Reform in the United States: Promises and Pitfalls.- 1. Need for Pro-competitive Regulatory Reform, and the 1996 Telecommunications Act.- 1.1 Reassessing Government Intervention in So-called Natural Monopolies.- 1.2 Challenges to Regulatory Reform.- 2. Increasing the Reliance on Competition and Markets.- 2.1 Relaxing Legal Entry Barriers.- 2.2 Liberalizing Restrictions on Foreign Investment.- 2.3 Making Better Use of the Radio Spectrum.- 3. Role for Government: Media Cross-ownership, Cable Rate Decontrol, Telephone-cable Consolidations.- 3.1 Media Cross-ownership.- 3.2 Cable Rate Decontrol.- 3.3 Cable-telephone Consolidations.- 4. Role for Government: Telephone Competition.- 4.1 Background.- 4.1.1 Local and Long-distance Service.- 4.1.2 Why the 1984 AT&T Breakup: Regulatory Evasion via Favoring Unregulated Affiliates Distorts Competition and is Inefficient.- 4.1.3 Unbundling Regulated Bottleneck Monopolies from Potentially Competitive Segments: Alternative Approaches.- 4.2 Bell Companies’ Entry into Long-distance Service.- 4.2.1 Arguments for Bell’s Entry: Costs of Structural Separation.- 4.2.2 Arguments against Bell’s Entry: Preventing Access Discrimination.- 4.2.3 Competitive Safeguards in the 1996 Act.- 4.3 Promoting Local Competition.- 4.3.1 Local Telephone Networks and Types of Entrants.- 4.3.2 Benefits of Resale or Partial-facilities Entry.- 4.3.3 Requirements of the 1996 Act: Interconnection and Unbundling.- 5. Reducing Cross-subsidies and Revamping Universal Service.- 5.1 Cross-subsidies, Common Costs, and Economic Efficiency.- 5.2 Distortions in Current System and Tension with Competition.- 5.3 Reforming Universal Service.- 5.4 The 1996 Act.- 6. Conclusion.- G. Regulation and Tariff Policies in the Energy and Telecommunications Sectors in the Transition Countries: The Case of the Czech Republic.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Features of the Energy Sector.- 3. Price Regulation and Tariffs in the Energy Sector.- 4. Telecommunications Sector Features.- 5. Regulation and Tariffs in the Telecommunications Sector.- 6. Situation and Approaches in CEC and EU.- 7. Conclusions.- H. The Process of Systemic Transformation and Reforms in the Energy Sector: The Regulatory Issues of the Reforms.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Systemic Transformation and Reforms in the Energy Industry.- 3. The Model of an Independent Regulation.- 3.1 The Concept of Reforms in the Energy Sector.- 3.2. The Justification for Independent Regulation.- 4. Controversies Surrounding the Model of Independent Regulation.- 5. Regulatory Authority and Antimonopoly Office.- I. Restructuring and Regulatory Reform in the Polish Energy Sector: an Assessment.- 1. Introduction.- 2. The Energy Sector in Poland.- 3. Policy during the Initial Phase of Economic Transition.- 4. Industrial Restructuring.- 4.1 Restructuring in Gas.- 4.2 Restructuring in Electricity.- 4.3 Conclusions on Structural Decisions.- 5. Regulation.- 5.1 The Problem of Delegation.- 5.2 The Trade-offs.- 5.3 The Consequences of Delay.- 6. Conclusions.- J. Energy Law Developments in the European Union and Poland.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Energy Policy Developments.- 2.1 European Union.- 2.2 Poland.- 3. New Legislation.- 3.1 European Union.- 3.1.1 Primary EU Law.- 3.1.2 Secondary Legislation.- 4. Poland.- Conclusion.- K. Institutional Choice or Muddling Through — Problems of Transformation in the Electricity Supply Industry in Russia.- 1. Institutional Choice in the Phase of Transformation.- 2. Models for Network-oriented Energy Sectors in the West.- 2.1 Special Characteristics of the ESI.- 2.2 Elements of Competition.- 2.3 Transformation in Different Political Systems.- 2.3.1 Germany.- 2.3.2 USA.- 2.3.3 European Union.- 2.3.4 Great Britain.- 3. The ESI in Russia.- 3.1 Basic Energy Situation.- 3.2 State of the ESI.- 3.3 State of the Institutional Reform of the Sector.- 4. Analysis of the Reform Process.- 4.1 General Problems of the Present Reform.- 4.2 Regional Interests — Siberia.- 4.3 The Concept of Privatisation in the Discussion.- 5. Cooperation with Western Europe.- L. Co-operation in Energy Policies: European Union (EU) — Eastern Europe.- 1. Introduction.- 2. East-West Co-operation in the Electricity and Gas Sector.- 2.1 The Electricity Sector.- 2.2 The Gas Sector.- 2.2.1 Natural Gas from the Former Soviet Union for Western Europe.- 2.2.2 The Outlook: Natural Gas from the CIS in the Context of Meeting Future Requirements.- 2.2.3 New Areas of Co-operation.- 2.2.4 Stable Framework Conditions as a Prerequisite for East-West-Co-operation.- 2.2.5 Examples of Co-operation in the Gas Sector.- 3. Transeuropean Networks (TEN).- 3.1 Short Overview.- 3.2 Gas Pipeline between Russia and the EU.- 3.3 The East-West High Power Transmission System as an Essential Part of the Baltic Ring.- 3.3.1 Introduction.- 3.3.2 Rough Investment Evaluation for the Baltic Ring.- 3.3.3 East-West High Power Transmission System.- 3.3.4 Conclusions.- 4. Summary.- M. Regulation and Systemic Transformation.- 1. Introduction.- 2. The Process of Systemic Transformation and its Constitutive Characteristics.- 3. Regulation in Market Economies.- 3.1 The Rule of Law and the Law of Contract as Regulation: an Institutional Approach.- 3.2 Regulation and Competition.- 4.Regulation in the Strict Sense of the Word.- 4.1 Regulation as an Institution of Market Economies.- 4.1.1 Regulation as an Actually Existing Institution in Market Economies.- 4.1.2 Why Regulation? Regulation and Economic Efficiency.- 4.2 Regulation of Public Utilities.- 4.2.1 Public Ownership as Regulation.- 4.2.2 Regulation and Private Sector.- 4.2.2.1 Regulation of Private Public Utilities (Network Industries).- 4.2.2.2 Regulation and Privatisation.- 4.2.2.2.1 Procompetitive Restructuring.- 4.2.2.2.2 Regulatory Agencies and Procompetitive Regulation.- 5. Regulation on the Way Back towards Capitalism.- 5.1 The Rule of Law and Competition.- 5.2 Public Utilities and Systemic Transformation.- 5.2.1 Regulation within the Public Sector: Institutional Reform and Restructuring.- 5.2.2 Regulation and Privatisation.- 6. Regulation as an Element of the System Being Created: Some Normative Remarks and Suggestions.- List of Tables.- List of Figures.- List of Contributors.