Universal Service and Competition The Cook Islands and Australia
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Keywords
universal service, wholesale, ECPR, levy, access pricing
Abstract
The author is advising the Cook Islands on how to introduce mobile competition, drawing on the experience of Australia. In both countries the impact of infrastructure competition on mandated geographically uniform pricing is being (or proposed to be) addressed with a levy. The different approaches to measuring costs and setting the levy are contrasted.
The paper proposes that a universal service levy has to be coupled with consistent access pricing to have efficient competition consistent with universal service policy. Interconnection between networks is free but the pricing of resold wholesale services should be consistent with the aims of the levy; to ensure universal service and efficient competition.
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References
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright Telecommunications Association Inc.
John de Ridder, Independent Telecommunication Consultant
John is an independent telecoms economist with over 30 years’ experience in the telecommunications industry. He is recognized locally and internationally as an experienced telecommunications economist with expertise in broadband pricing and regulation. Clients have included InfoDev (World Bank), ITU (United Nations), DFAT (Australia), OECD, APEC and the NZ Commerce Commission.
John’s career has put him at the cutting edge of developments such as universal service costing and the evolution of competition and regulation. Recently, he has worked on transmission pricing in PNG, the Solomon Islands, Fiji and the Cook Islands.
In his final role at Telstra (ending 2002), he was responsible for pricing wholesale broadband access and data products and providing internal advice on key regulatory issues. Before joining Telstra, John held various positions in Australia and the UK. In Australia, he worked as an economist for ICI and as the research manager for IBIS Consulting. In London, he worked for Shell International as an economist and for DRI-McGraw Hill both as a macro-economic forecaster and as a marketer.
