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Politics, policy and fixed-line telecommunications provision: Insights from Australia

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  • Howell, Bronwyn E.
  • Potgieter, Petrus H.

Abstract

Over the past 40 years, telecommunications policy worldwide has been dominated by the privatisation of former government-owned firms, the pursuit of increasing competition as well as the delegation of day-to-day operations of industry decision-making and oversight from core governments to autonomous regulators sitting at arms-length from political decision-making. One of the most (apparently) dramatic reversals of this trend has occurred in Australia where the federal government has set up a state-owned company (NBN Co) to fully replace and upgrade the fixed-line infrastructure for voice and broadband communications for the entire country. Some argued that the NBN heralded a reversal of a “failed, neoliberal” deregulation and pro-competition policy agenda in Australia, and a return to “social democratic” values. The NBN has attracted interest as a possible model for other governments looking to fund broadband infrastructure.

Suggested Citation

  • Howell, Bronwyn E. & Potgieter, Petrus H., 2020. "Politics, policy and fixed-line telecommunications provision: Insights from Australia," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(7).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:telpol:v:44:y:2020:i:7:s0308596120300914
    DOI: 10.1016/j.telpol.2020.101999
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Howell, Bronwyn E. & Potgieter, Petrus H., 2022. "Effective competition and ineffective mobile industry regulation in South Africa," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(7).
    2. Howell, Bronwyn E. & Potgieter, Petrus H., 2021. "Spectrum shortage and merger by any other name in South Africa," 23rd ITS Biennial Conference, Online Conference / Gothenburg 2021. Digital societies and industrial transformations: Policies, markets, and technologies in a post-Covid world 238027, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    3. Sinclair, Andrew, 2023. "Assessing the benefits of high-speed broadband: Lessons from Australia's National Broadband Network (NBN)," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).

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