Telecommunications challenges in developing countries : asymmetric interconnection charges for rural areas / / Andrew Dymond

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910966739603321
• Autore: Dymond Andrew <1947->
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: Washington, DC, : World Bank, 2004
• ISBN: 1-280-08480-4; 9786610084807; 1-4175-0133-2
• Edizione: [1st ed.]
• Descrizione fisica: ix, 39 pages : illustrations ; ; 26 cm
• Collana: World Bank working paper ; ; no. 27
• Disciplina: 384.6/4
• Soggetti: Telephone - Developing countries; Telephone - Rates - Developing countries; Telecommunication - Developing countries
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Note generali: Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references.
• Nota di contenuto: Intro -- CONTENTS -- Acknowledgments -- Acronyms and Abbreviations -- Executive Summary -- 1. Introduction -- General -- The Starting Hypothesis -- The Challenges -- 2. Basic concepts -- Interconnection: Operator-to-Operator Payments -- Who Pays the Additional Charges for Asymmetric Interconnection? -- Types of Interoperator Financial Interconnection Arrangements -- Theoretical Justification for Asymmetric Interconnection -- Operator Investment Incentive -- 3. Country Experience and Precedents -- Fixed Network Precedents -- The Precedent of Fixed-Mobile Asymmetrical Interconnection -- 4. Main Issues Related to Networks and Costs -- What Networks Could be Considered for Asymmetric Interconnection? -- Should Asymmetric Interconnection Apply to Fixed and Mobile Operators? -- Could Asymmetric Interconnection Distort Investment Patterns? -- Does Implementation Require a Detailed Cost Study First? -- Should Asymmetric Interconnection Reflect or Follow Peak/Discount Rates? -- 5. Tariff Regulation Related to Asymmetric Interconnection -- In Favor of Revision to "Calling Party Pays" -- Counterarguments -- Additional Issues to Consider -- Would Asymmetric Termination Charges Create Undesirable Arbitrage? -- Rate Postalization -- ; Conclusion on Tariffs -- Downstream Beneficiaries-Should They be Regulated or Licensed? -- 6. Numbering and Billing Issues -- What Prerequisite Changes in the Numbering Plan are Required -- What Modifications to Intercarrier Billing Would be Required? -- 7. Relating De-averaged Interconnection to Universal Access Policy -- Comparison of North American and Chilean Financial Models -- Conclusion -- 8. Summary and Next Step -- Study Outcome -- Next Step -- References -- FIGURES -- Figure 1 -- Figure 2 -- Figure 3 -- TABLES -- Table 1. Is Rural Network Investment Incentive Created -- Table 2. Chile, Access Rates.; Table 3. Mobile-based Public Access Projects.
• Sommario/riassunto: Rural telecommunications are usually believed to be unprofitable and therefore chronically under-invested. The author challenges this view and sets out to present reasons why regulators should consider implementing fairer cost-based interconnection arrangements between urban and rural network operators, which could significantly improve the business case for rural network operators. Specifically, a regime of geographically de-averaged asymmetric termination charges that reflect the higher costs rural operators face is proposed. A wide range of related issues are investigated before the author concludes that asymmetric termination charges could be implemented practically.