December 10-12, 2008. Seville (Spain)
http://www.ict-publicprivate.net/
Call for papers: http://www.ict-publicprivate.net/callforpapers.php
Important dates
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Abstract submission: September 10, 2008
Acceptance notification: September 29, 2008
Full paper submission: November 28, 2008
Description
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For most of the last century, the provision of telephone and,
generally, telecommunication services, was connected to national
companies operating as monopolies. The monopolist was in charge of
deploying the networks with criteria which were often more political
than economic. The generalisation can be considered valid although at
certain times and in certain places, it has not been true. The United
States is the more prominent exception. Small local operators offering
services to only a single community still exist today in the USA.
In the mid-eighties the first shy movements for reforming the sector
began. Amplified and generalised, they led to an extraordinary
transformation process that included, in most cases, the privatisation
of the monopolistic company. In hardly a decade from the first
privatisations, with markets that were progressively liberalised and
companies operating in competition, the direct construction of
networks by public companies or organisations seemed to have been
definitely left behind.
However, almost at the same time as the privatisation processes
reached its zenith of activity, new policies of an unquestionable
impact on the industry emerged. The rise of what has been called
knowledge economy, or new economy reinforces the role of
telecommunications as a strategic investment. Such is the unanimity
regarding the importance of telecommunications that the reasoning has
changed. It no longer includes the existence of an adequate
infrastructure as a factor for regional development. Instead, its
absence is considered a sign of underdevelopment. As a consequence,
governments pay particular attention to telecommunications. This
renewed interest includes direct intervention in networks deployment.
The programmes intended to facilitate the development of the
information society act as a framework for most of these initiatives.
Almost all countries, including most of the less developed ones, have
their own proposals for adapting their economies to the new
socioeconomic paradigm which is starting to take shape. And in these
plans, the "universal access" to advanced telecommunications services
holds a prominent position. Generally, it is assumed that private
companies will carry out most of the tasks required to reach this
objective. However, the allocation of public funds for the
construction of infrastructures in places where a private initiative
will arrive late or not at all is also frequent.
But, more important than the above, similar projects are being
launched autonomously, without the coverage of any general plans, and
even in places where telecommunication operators maintain broadband
connection offers under normal market conditions.
In short, another decade has gone by and the scenario of public
participation in the deployment of telecommunication networks seems to
have changed again. Privatisations have slowed down (in some
countries, the government still maintains a significant importance in
the ex monopolistic (now dominant) operator's shareholding but,
particularly, more and more points appear anywhere on the map
identifying public or semi public networks.
One of the most significant characteristics of this public "comeback"
in the deployment of telecommunication networks is the fact that the
decisions are being taken, in most cases, by public entities with a
lower status than that of the central government: regional authorities
and, quite specifically, local or town councils. However, this is not
a completely new phenomenon. Although during the monopoly era
decisions were usually centralised, examples of local networks can be
found in some countries.
The commercial maturity of some wireless technologies, with the
resulting cost reduction, is actually multiplying the number of cases.
However, not only wireless technologies are being resourced: many
examples can be found where public administrations have acted on, or
contributed to the deployment of cable or fibre. There is no common
rule on how to sponsor the construction of these networks or manage
them once completed: the experiments are diverse and depend basically
on the specific circumstances of each case.
At the same time, completely new possible roles for the public /
private interplay in next generation communications are emerging. We
have now important policy developments such as the eInclusion,
eHealth, eGovernment, eParticipation agendas, which share the same
basic axiom of preventing exclusion that was original of the universal
service approach, but now have a more balanced view between
access/supply and adoption/demand. Therefore, the public / private
relationship could be put in a wider, more social and citizen-centric
perspective, now closer to horizontal policies. Understanding these
new relationships is a key element of the development of next
generation communications, since they are no longer isolated from
general socio-economic welfare. Obviously, along the same line,
sustainability objectives appear. Sustainability is a potentially
basic contribution of ICTs to the rationale of public / private
interplay in next generation communications and its position deserves
to be highlighted.
The phenomena described are important enough, both in its practical
aspects (as regards the impact on the market and society) and
theoretical aspects (as regards the discussion of its appropriateness
and validity), to make a detailed analysis, which is the intended
purpose of this conference.
José Luis Gómez-Barroso (UNED)
Claudio Feijóo (IPTS)
Eli M. Noam (Columbia University)
Conference co-chairs
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