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40 years on: An account of innovation in the regulation of UK telecommunications, in 3½ chapters

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  • Cave, Martin

Abstract

The past nearly 40 years have seen major developments in telecommunications networks and services, and in how they are regulated. This paper describes innovations in UK telecommunications regulation which have taken place over the period, broken down into stages, beginning with the regulation of the former monopolist by an independent regulator under a price cap, continuing the regulation first of mobile and then, under European Directives, of copper-based broadband, and ending with the diffusion of fibre networks. It is argued that a variety of changes have reduced the scope of innovation over the period, including domestic institutional reform, the limits placed on later decisions by earlier ones (path dependency), and the constraining impact of European Union law and regulation. The paper concludes with some consideration of the effects on future innovation of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

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  • Cave, Martin, 2017. "40 years on: An account of innovation in the regulation of UK telecommunications, in 3½ chapters," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(10), pages 904-915.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:telpol:v:41:y:2017:i:10:p:904-915
    DOI: 10.1016/j.telpol.2016.10.006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Cave, Martin, 1997. "The evolution of telecommunications regulation in the UK," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(3-5), pages 691-699, April.
    2. Spiller, Pablo T, 1996. "Institutions and Commitment," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 5(2), pages 421-452.
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    Cited by:

    1. Oughton, Edward J. & Comini, Niccolò & Foster, Vivien & Hall, Jim W., 2022. "Policy choices can help keep 4G and 5G universal broadband affordable," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).

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