Spain: From Monopoly to Liberalisation. Two Decades of Telecommunications Regulation

Abstract

This paper aims at describing the evolution of the telecommunications industry in Spain. It debuts with the monopolist situation of the market in the mid 90s and then analyses the consecutive legal and regulatory reforms designed with a view to the liberalisation and introduction of perfect competition in this economic sector. The paper also considers the relationships and tensions between national Spanish and EU legislation in this area, as well as giving a critical approach on the current organization model chosen vis-à-vis the independent regulatory authority.