Liberalization of Telecommunications Sector

This chapter discuses telecommunications liberalization. It points out that developed and developing countries alike have started casting aside the view that the telecommunications sector is a natural monopoly and have started to consider telecom liberalization, that liberalization enable telecom users have a wider choice of suppliers of telecommunications services, products and services are provided in close proximity of the customers., provision of good quality product and service by operators, affordable and low prices to their products, improvement and maintenance of standards of products and services. stimulate the growth of the market and the economy in general; that there is need for regulatory involvement to license new competitors and existing operators, ensure interconnection of networks and services, prevent dominant operators from charging excessive prices for services, as well as ensure universality objectives are achieved in a competitive environment; that to ensure successful implementation of liberalization of telecom steps such as getting support from the top, setting clear policies and procedures, drawing up a liberalization and regulatory timeline, setting competitive safeguards, licensing, unleashing the internet, rolling out universal access, removing barriers to international trade should be taken.