Free and equal access: In search of policy models for converging communication systems

Telecommunications Policy

Volumn 22, Issue 3, 1998, Pages 171-181

  Van Cuilenburg, Jan ^a   Verhoest, Pascal ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF AMSTERDAM   (Netherlands)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY; LAWS AND LEGISLATION; TELECOMMUNICATION; TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEMS; TELEVISION BROADCASTING;

GENERIC MODEL; POLICY MODEL; TECHNOLOGICAL CONVERGENCE;

PUBLIC POLICY;

EID: 0032046912     PISSN: 03085961     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/s0308-5961(98)00004-4     Document Type: Article

References (10)

1. Pool, I. de Sola, Technologies of Freedom. Belknap Press, Harvard, MA, 1984.
2. McQuail, D., Media Performance: Mass Communication and the Public Interest. Sage, London, 1992, pp 87-96.
3. Fagan, M. D., A History of Science and Engeneering in the Bell System: the Early Years (1875-1925). S.I., 1974.
4. Verhoest, P., De maatschappelijke en technologische constructie van de Belgische telefoonnetten in de 19e eeuw: een structurale ananlyse. In Media and Maatschappij 1. eds H. Verstraeten and P. Perceval, VUBPress, Brussel, 1991, pp 211-228.
5. CEC, Towards a dynamic European economy: green paper on the development of the common market for telecommunications services and equipment. COM (87) 290 final, 30 June 1987;
6. CEC, Council directive of 28 June 1990 on competition in the markets for telecommunications services. 90/388/EEC; OJ L192/10, 24 June 1990. Within the 'layer' of services, an additional differentiation was made between 'basic' and 'value added' services. Value added services were those that did not affect the 'basic' economy of the network. These economic distinctions were further translated into political terms in the European directive on the liberalization of services. This directive introduced the principle that 'all services were free'. However, some basic services, the most important of which was 'plain old' telephony (POT), could still be exploited exclusively by the incumbent operator. These services were therefore called 'reserved services'. The commission argued, amongst other things, that the continuous monopolization of 'basic' telephony was needed to finance the development of the fixed switched infrastructure.
7. Arnbak, J. C., van Cuilenburg, J. J. and Dommering E. J., Verbindingen Ontvlechting in de Communicatie: Een Studie Naar Toekomstig Overheidsbeleid Voor de Openbare Electronische Informatievoorziening. Otto Cramwinkel Uitgever, Amsterdam, 1990.
8. Cuilenburg, J. van and Slaa, P., From media policy towards a national communications policy. European Journal of Communication, 1993, 8(2), 149-176;
9. Cuilenburg, J. van and Slaa, P., Towards an anticyclical competition policy in telecommunications. Telecommunications Policy, 1993, 18(1), 51-65.
10. Cuilenburg, J. van and Slaa, P., Competition and innovation in telecommunications. Telecommunications Policy, 1994, 19(8), 647-663.