The Determinants and Impact of Telecommunications Reforms in Developing Countries

Farid Gasmi and Laura Recuero Virto

No 09-092, TSE Working Papers from Toulouse School of Economics (TSE)

Abstract: This paper has two related objectives. First, it seeks to identify the key determinants of some policies that have been at the heart of the reforms of the telecommunications industry in developing countries, namely, liberalization, privatization, and the (re)structuring of regulation. Second, it attempts to estimate the extent to which these policies have translated into actual deployment of telecommunications infrastructure. This simultaneous investigation is conducted by means of an econometric analysis of a 1985-1999 time-series-cross-sectional database on 86 developing countries. Sectoral as well as institutional and financial factors are found to be important determinants of the actual reforms implemented. We uncover a positive relationship between the decision to introduce competition in the digital cellular segment and the growth of the fixed-line segment, suggesting that these two segments have benefited from each other. We also find that countries facing increasing institutional risk and financial constraints are more likely to introduce competition in the digital cellular segment and to privatize the fixed-line incumbent, these policies being economically attractive to both investors and governments. In turn, these policies are those that enhance the deployment of fixed-line infrastructure. In contrast, competition in the analogue cellular segment and the creation of a separate regulator seem to be relatively less attractive policies as they are found to be less likely to be introduced in countries facing increasing institutional risk and budget constraints. Their impact on fixed network deployment is found to be negative or non significant.

Keywords: telecommunications; reforms; institutional risk (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C23 L51 L96 L98 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-09
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Related works:
Journal Article: The determinants and impact of telecommunications reforms in developing countries (2010)
Working Paper: The Determinants and Impact of Telecommunications Reform in Developping Countries (2008)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:tse:wpaper:22197

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