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The Determinants and Impact of Telecommunications Reforms in Developing Countries

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  • Gasmi, Farid
  • Recuero Virto, Laura

Abstract

This paper has two related objectives. First, it seeks to identify the key determinants of some policies that have been at the heart of the reforms of the telecommunications industry in developing countries, namely, liberalization, privatization, and the (re)structuring of regulation. Second, it attempts to estimate the extent to which these policies have translated into actual deployment of telecommunications infrastructure. This simultaneous investigation is conducted by means of an econometric analysis of a 1985-1999 time-series-cross-sectional database on 86 developing countries. Sectoral as well as institutional and financial factors are found to be important determinants of the actual reforms implemented. We uncover a positive relationship between the decision to introduce competition in the digital cellular segment and the growth of the fixed-line segment, suggesting that these two segments have benefited from each other. We also find that countries facing increasing institutional risk and financial constraints are more likely to introduce competition in the digital cellular segment and to privatize the fixed-line incumbent, these policies being economically attractive to both investors and governments. In turn, these policies are those that enhance the deployment of fixed-line infrastructure. In contrast, competition in the analogue cellular segment and the creation of a separate regulator seem to be relatively less attractive policies as they are found to be less likely to be introduced in countries facing increasing institutional risk and budget constraints. Their impact on fixed network deployment is found to be negative or non significant.

Suggested Citation

  • Gasmi, Farid & Recuero Virto, Laura, 2009. "The Determinants and Impact of Telecommunications Reforms in Developing Countries," TSE Working Papers 09-092, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
  • Handle: RePEc:tse:wpaper:22197
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    Cited by:

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    2. Mohamad, Noorihsan, 2014. "Telecommunications reform and efficiency performance: Do good institutions matter?," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 49-65.
    3. Ba, Lika & Gasmi, Farid, 2011. "To what extent do infrastructure and financial sectors reforms interplay? Evidence from panel data on the power sector in developing countries," TSE Working Papers 11-264, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    4. Erkan Erdogdu, 2014. "The Political Economy of Electricity Market Liberalization: A Cross-country Approach," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 3).
    5. Borchert, Ingo & Gootiiz, Batshur & Grover, Arti & Mattoo, Aaditya, 2012. "Landlocked or policy locked ? how services trade protection deepens economic isolation," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5942, The World Bank.
    6. El-Haddad, Amirah, 2017. "Welfare gains from utility reforms in Egyptian telecommunications," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 1-26.
    7. Karamti, Chiraz, 2019. "Lopsided effects of telecom reforms on mobile markets in the enlarged EU: Evidence from dynamic quantile model," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(3), pages 238-261.
    8. Schoentgen, Aude & Gille, Laurent, 2017. "Valuation of telecom investments in sub-Saharan Africa," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(7), pages 537-554.
    9. Ba, Lika & Gasmi, Farid, 2011. "To what extent do infrastructure and financial sectors reforms interplay? Evidence from panel data on the power sector in developing countries," IDEI Working Papers 692, Institut d'Économie Industrielle (IDEI), Toulouse.
    10. Berg, Sanford V. & Jiang, Liangliang & Lin, Chen, 2012. "Regulation and corporate corruption: New evidence from the telecom sector," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 22-43.
    11. Antonio Estache & Caroline Philippe, 2012. "The Impact of Private Participation in Infrastructure in Developing Countries: Taking Stock of about 20 Years of Experience," Working Papers ECARES ECARES 2012-043, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    12. Rabah Belaïd & Farid Gasmi & Laura Recuero Virto, 2009. "La qualité des institutions influence-t-elle la performance économique ? Le cas des télécommunications dans les pays en voie de développement," Revue d’économie du développement, De Boeck Université, vol. 17(3), pages 51-81.
    13. Gasmi, Farid & Maingard, Alexis & Noumba Um, Paul & Recuero Virto, Laura, 2011. "Empirical evidence on the impact of privatization of fixed-line operators on telecommunications performance - Comparing OECD, Latin American, and African countries," TSE Working Papers 11-241, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    14. Pradhan, Rudra P. & Arvin, Mak B. & Norman, Neville R. & Bele, Samadhan K., 2014. "Economic growth and the development of telecommunications infrastructure in the G-20 countries: A panel-VAR approach," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(7), pages 634-649.
    15. Garrone, Paola & Zaccagnino, Michele, 2015. "Seeking the links between competition and telecommunications investments," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 388-405.
    16. Erdogdu, Erkan, 2013. "Essays on Electricity Market Reforms: A Cross-Country Applied Approach," MPRA Paper 47139, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Gasmi, F. & Maingard, A. & Noumba, P. & Recuero Virto, L., 2013. "The Privatization of the Fixed-Line Telecommunications Operator in OECD, Latin America, Asia, and Africa: One Size Does Not Fit All," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 189-208.
    18. Gugler, Klaus & Rammerstorfer, Margarethe & Schmitt, Stephan, 2013. "Ownership unbundling and investment in electricity markets — A cross country study," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 702-713.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    telecommunications; reforms; institutional risk;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • L96 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Telecommunications
    • L98 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Government Policy

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