Local Competition and Universal Service

Abstract

Public policy in the telecommunications industry has largely been driven by two goals: economic efficiency and universal service. The possibility of conflict between the two goals arises as the local telecommunications markets are opened up to competition and as the information age at the same time is fundamentally changing the nature of telecommunications. How then do we allow competition to discipline the market and ensure that society is not divided into the "information rich" and the "information poor"? In this essay we outline some of the policy options.

Additional details