[Air-l] Fwd: [CSL]: [World Dialogue on Regulation for Network Economies]

Wed Jun 19 11:43:14 PDT 2002

Begin forwarded message:

> From: John Armitage <john.armitage at UNN.AC.UK>
> Date: Wed Jun 19, 2002  08:42:28 AM US/Eastern
> To: CYBER-SOCIETY-LIVE at JISCMAIL.AC.UK
> Subject: [CSL]: [World Dialogue on Regulation for Network Economies]
> Reply-To: The Cyber-Society-Live mailing list is a moderated discussion 
> list for those interested <CYBER-SOCIETY-LIVE at JISCMAIL.AC.UK>
>
> (Hi all, a short reminder: I shall be closing CSL on **Friday 28 
> June**. As
> usual, CSL will be closed through July and August and re-open early
> September. Best wishes to all. John)
> ======================================
> [World Dialogue on Regulation for Network Economies]
>
> -----------------------------
>
> WDR e-Brief - No. 08, 19 June 2002
>
> In this e-Brief
>
>
>    * Q&A: The thin line between policy and regulation
>    * WDR expert forum in September
>    * WDR schedule of activities
>    * Two new books
>         o Networking Knowledge for Information Societies
>         o Global Media Governance
>    * Conference Reports
>         o TU Delft 5th international conference
>         o CTI -  Internet & Mobility: Technologies and Implications for
>           Work and Leisure
>    * African WSIS meeting calls for regulation tailored to region s
>      needs
>    * Regulatory news archives now searchable
>    * Southern African telecom news and information from MISA
>    * CTI newsletter available online
>    * Subscribing and unsubscribing
>
> -----------------------------
>
> Welcome to the eighth issue of the WDR e-Brief, a bi-weekly bulletin
> from the World Dialogue on Regulation for Network Economies (WDR).
> The WDR e-Brief keeps you informed of new documents and ongoing
> discussions on our website and features information and comment of
> interest to the regulatory community. Please forward the e-Brief to
> interested colleagues and let them know they can subscribe for free from
> the WDR website at http://www.regulateonline.org/ .
>
> For more information on any of the items discussed here, visit the web
> addresses provided.
>
> -----------------------------
>
> Q&A: The thin line between policy and regulation
> In each WDR e-Brief we feature a question or comment posted to the
> Online Dialogue at http://www.regulateonline.org/dialogue/ and ask our
> research teams to comment. The featured question in this e-Brief comes
> from Rodrigo de la Parra, advisor to the chair at Mexico s Federal
> Telecommunications Commission. De la Parra s question follows up on an
> earlier discussion on independence and political interference (see
> http://www.comunica.org/w-
> agora/view.php?site=wdr&bn=wdr_multisector&key=101
> 5945573&first=1022164447&last=1012306680
> ).
>
> The reply comes from Rohan Samarajiva, coordinator of the Multisector
> research team based at the Economics of Infrastructures at the Delft
> University of Technology, with additional comments by WDR general
> manager, William Melody.
>
> Question:
> The line that divides policy and regulation is a very thin one even
> before we think of a convergent regulatory and institutional framework.
> In e-brief #7 Samarajiva comments that political interference may be
> reduced if service providers are completely privatized. But what if this
> has been already done. In this new convergent environment what new
> definitions can be given regarding policy and regulation powers? and
> what would be the optimal institutional design?
>
> - Rodrigo de la Parra
>
> Answer:
> It is correct that the line between policy and regulation is a thin one.
> The margin is problematic, but the core of policy is distinct from the
> core of regulation.
>
> The question is about political interference. It may be necessary to
> distinguish between politicians taking political positions in public
> from covert political interference. The former is part of democracy,
> while the latter is not. What motivates persons within government to
> engage in covert political interference? The most obvious reason is if
> the government is a shareholder in a regulated company. This has been
> stated in a previous response. The question now is what if the
> government no longer holds shares in the regulated company? In an
> environment of good governance, it is unlikely that persons within
> government will seek to engage in covert efforts to influence regulatory
> decisions on behalf of regulated companies. But if the environment is
> not one of good governance, it is possible that such actions may take
> place for various reasons. The interferor may honestly believe his/her
> action to be correct, but for some reason wishes to hide the fact of
> influencing. This is less blameworthy, but is nevertheless wrong. The
> most problematic case is where the interference has some ulterior
> motive. This kind of covert influencing is not unique to regulated
> industries. It is found wherever public officials are given
> discretionary power.
>
> The solutions are not perfect but include:
> - Creating channels for the communication of legitimate concerns. As
> long as the communication is seen by others, it is acceptable. For
> example, it is a good thing to give government ministers the right to
> give written public directions on specific subjects to regulatory
> agencies.
> - Saying no, or disregarding improper and covert communications.
> Provisions regarding independence are intended to make it possible for
> decision makers in regulatory agencies to say no. It is a pity that more
> regulators do not avail of these protections to do the right thing.
> - Reducing areas of discretion. This can be done by statute and policy
> as well as by regulatory procedures. Sometimes it is easier to say "I
> cannot do it" than "I will not do it."
>
> The diffuseness of the boundary between regulation and policy is not
> increased or decreased by convergence. The problem is no different in a
> convergence environment than in a pre-convergence environment. The
> problem is one of poor governance. The real answer is that we convince
> ourselves of the overall benefits of good governance, through explicit
> educational activities as well as good institutional design and in some
> cases plain raw acts of courage.
>
> - Rohan Samarajiva, LIRNE.NET & Delft University of Technology
> Follow the dialogue post a question or make a comment at
> http://www.regulateonline.org/dialogue/ .
>
> -----------------------------
>
> WDR s Managing Director, William Melody added the following points in
> response to the excellent, but difficult question raised by Rodrigo de
> la Parra.
>
> The observations made by Rohan Samarajiva are fundamental, and link
> directly to some practical steps that can be taken to strengthen the
> positive role that regulation can play in the telecom reform process.
> Channels of communication and regulatory credibility are strengthened
> when clear administrative procedures are established, regulatory
> processes are made transparent and information is made publicly
> accessible. (See, Samarajiva, R., Regulating in an imperfect world:
> building independence through legitimacy, Telecom Reform, Vol. 1, No. 2
> - http://www.telecomreform.net/volume2/#policy ).
>
> For the range of issues - e.g. spectrum management - that sit in the
> grey area between the core policy and regulation functions, the dividing
> line is best drawn with reference to the capabilities for effective
> performance in achieving the policy objectives. Given the increasing
> complexity of issues associated with convergence, one can see the
> potential for regulation taking on a broader mandate. But only if the
> regulator has the expertise, independence and objectivity to implement
> it effectively. That is why training is such an important issue for the
> staff of regulatory agencies. The answer to the question may depend as
> much on the technical and strategic competences of the staff of the
> regulator as anything else.
>
> - William Melody, WDR
>
> Follow the dialogue post a question or make a comment at
> http://www.regulateonline.org/dialogue/ .
>
> -----------------------------
>
> WDR Expert Forum September 12 & 13 - "Designing Next Generation
> Regulation"
> Dates for the WDR Expert Forum have been set for September 12 - 13,
> 2002  in Copenhagen, Denmark. It will be hosted by LIRNE.NET s partner,
> the Center for Tele-Information (CTI) of the Technical University of
> Denmark. The purpose of the Forum is to critically assess the draft
> report on Next Generation Regulation, being prepared by the LIRNE.NET
> research teams, and then to review suggestions for next year's World
> Dialogue Theme.
>
> About forty experts from regulatory agencies, government ministries,
> international organizations, academia and other organizations will bring
> a diversity of informed views to help shape the final report on this
> year's dialogue theme, as well as the direction of next year's theme.
> Forum participants will be acting in their individual capacities, not as
> representatives of organizations.
>
> For more information, including about how to participate, see
> http://www.regulateonline.org/news/experts.htm or write LIRNE.NET
> Coordinator, Merete Henrikson at henriksen at lirne.net .
>
> -----------------------------
>
> WDR and e-Brief Schedule of Activities
> The WDR e-Brief will be going offline for most of July and August, but
> the research teams will continue to work and to receive your input to
> the draft report to be presented at September s Expert Forum.
>
> E-Brief number 09 will appear in two weeks, before taking a short
> holiday. We ll be back with e-Brief 10 in August, to give you a chance
> to comment on the draft research report on Next Generation Regulation
> before it is discussed at the Expert Forum.
>
> We ll be back as usual in September, with a report from the Expert Forum
> and an introduction to next year s research topic.
>
> -----------------------------
>
> Two new books
> Two new books have appeared in the last few weeks with significant
> contributions from WDR staff. WDR researchers Rohan Samarajiva and Amy
> Mahan are co-editors, with Robin Mansell of the London School of
> Economics, of Networking Knowledge for Information Societies:
> Institutions and Interventions. Amy Mahan also collaborated with Bruce
> Girard (editor of the WDR e-Brief) and Sean S Siochrz on Global Media
> Governance.
>
> Networking Knowledge for Information Societies: Institutions and
> Interventions
> Edited by Robin Mansell, Rohan Samarajiva and Amy Mahan
>
> This volume includes state-of-the-art analyses of the problems of and
> prospects for information societies. It is about the structures and
> processes of inquiry and institutional change and their relationship to
> rapid innovations in information and communication technologies. It
> contains over 50 contributions by outstanding scholars whose choices of
> topics cover issues that are of substantial significance today.
>
> Each of the book's five sections addresses a central question:
> - What is the role of institutions of higher education in the
> 'Information Age' and how does scholarly research become involved in
> 'networking knowledge'?
> - What are the institutional strategies and practices of policy and
> regulatory reform in the communication industry?
> - How and why are people accommodating or resisting the new technologies
> and the emerging information societies?
> - What are the biases in the processes of networking knowledge and what
> insights can be drawn from the social sciences, and particularly from
> Institutional Economics?
> - What are the structures and processes for sharing the content of the
> media and information services industries and for exchanging knowledge
> in today's global networks?
>
> For more information, including the table of contents and how to order
> the book, visit
> http://www.comunica.org/netknowledge/
>
> Global Media Governance: A beginners guide
> By Sean S Siochrz, Bruce Girard and Amy Mahan
> Published by Rowman and Littlefield
>
> This book is about media and communication governance at a global level
> and its key influencing forces, elements and organizations, such as ITU,
> WTO, UNESCO, WIPO, and ICANN. Governance oversees regulation, and
> questions addressed here include: Why do we regulate the media at all?
> What are the major forms of global regulation, and how do they work? Who
> participates in, and who benefits from, media regulatory and governance
> structures? What are the trends?
>
> Anyone interested in the media and its progressively rising influence
> over so many dimensions of society will sooner or later find themselves
> confronted with these questions. This book does not claim to answer all
> the questions, but it raises key ones and points in directions where
> more complete answers can be found.
>
> For more information, visit
> http://www.comunica.org/gmg/
>
> -----------------------------
>
> Conference Reports
>
> TU Delft - Regulation: Shaping Markets in Liberalized Infrastructure
> Industries for Better Performance
>
> The Economics of Infrastructures (EI) section of the Faculty of
> Technology, Policy and Management of Delft University of Technology (TU
> Delft) held its
> 5th annual Conference on May 30 and 31, 2002. The theme of the
> conference was Next Generation Regulation: Shaping Markets in
> Liberalized Infrastructure Industries for Better Performance. Organized
> in honour of Professor William Melody, the retiring chair of the EI
> section, the conference critically addressed the role of regulation in
> the performance of liberalized infrastructure industries.
>
> A report of the conference by TU Delft researcher Andrew Barendse is at
> http://www.regulateonline.org/news/ei5.htm
>
> CTI -   Internet & Mobility: Technologies and Implications for Work and
> Leisure
>
> On May 29 the Center for Tele-Information held its 7th international
> conference on the theme of 'Internet & Mobility: Technologies and
> Implications for Work and Leisure', with participation from business and
> academia.
>
> Convergence of Internet and mobile networks and services were to open
> new potential for communications and access to information. However, in
> Europe WAP never lifted off and GPRS has not yet been successful. Third
> generation networks are on the way but are challenged by the WLAN
> options. The conference centred on technology and market developments.
> The idea was to explore convergences between Internet and mobile
> technologies in the context of mobility in work and leisure situations.
>
> Read a brief report of the conference by Anders Henten at
> http://www.regulateonline.org/news/cti7.htm
>
> -----------------------------
>
> African WSIS meeting calls for regulation tailored to region s needs
>
> The Africa Regional Meeting Preparatory to the World Summit on the
> Information Society was held in Bamako, Mali from 28 to 30 May 2002.
> Representatives from 51 African countries and delegates from numerous
> other countries and global organisations attended.
>
> A number of statements in the final declaration address the issue of
> universal access to ICTs, calling for research and policies to deal with
> Africa s specific environment. On balance, the declaration calls for
> regulations that are fair, efficient and tailored to the specific
> development requirements of Africans and African countries. Now comes
> the difficult task of creating such a regulatory environment and seeing
> a movement from pilots with dubious success to an environment that
> encourages and promotes viability for service providers and access
> businesses.
>
> From the WDR/Intelecon Regulatory News Service
> Full story at
> http://www.regulateonline.org/intelecon/A-Africa-020613.htm
>
> -----------------------------
>
> WDR/Intelecon news now searchable
> The archive of WDR/Intelecon Regulatory News produced since March 2002
> can now be consulted online at http://www.regulateonline.org/intelecon/
> . You can access a monthly list of all the news or type keywords into
> the search engine to find exactly what you want.
>
> -----------------------------
>
> Southern African telecom news and information from MISA
> The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) offers an occasional
> "Telecommunications Update" by email. The latest issue includes news and
> links about telecom privatisation in Malawi, regulatory proposals for
> South Africa's second national operator, proposals for cooperation
> between South Africa's Independent Communicatios Authority (ICASA) and
> its Competition Commission, and lots more. To subscribe, write
> telecom at misa.org.na
>
> -----------------------------
>
> CTI newsletters available online and via email
> The Center for Tel-Information (CTI) is on of the LIRNE.NET universities
> and a WDR partner. The Center's newsletters have been available on the
> web for some time but a new service enables you to receive them free by
> e-mail. Just go to http://www.cti.dtu.dk, click publications, and follow
> the instructions. You can, of course, also unsubscribe from the same
> site. In addition to the newsletter you may receive invitations to
> conferences and open seminars arranged by CTI from time to time. The CTI
> Newsletter is published three times a year and provides information on
> research and teaching activities at the Center for Tele-Information.
> More information on CTI and the newsletter can be found at
> http://www.cti.dtu.dk.
>
> -----------------------------
>
> Questions and support If you have questions about WDR, send them to
> info at regulateonline.org .
> For technical matters, contact us at webinfo at regulateonline.org or see
> the Frequently Asked Questions section in the Online
> Dialogue.
> http://www.regulateonline.org/dialogue/
> -----------------------------
>
> Subscribing and unsubscribing
> The WDR e-Brief is a bi-weekly bulletin from the World Dialogue on
> Regulation for Network Economies - http://www.regulateonline.org .
> Subscribe from the site or by sending a message to
> ebrief at regulateonline.org with the subject wdr e-brief list . To
> unsubscribe, send a message to nobrief at regulateonline.org
> -----------------------------
>
> Bruce Girard - bgirard at regulateonline.org - edits the e-Brief with
> assistance from Divakar Goswami.
> Archives: http://www.comunica.org/w-agora/index.php?bn=wdr_ebrief
>
> -----------------------------
>
> The purpose of the World Dialogue on Regulation is to critically examine
> ideas and evidence. Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in
> content appearing on the WDR website, the Online Dialogue and the WDR
> e-Brief are the personal views of the individuals submitting them.
> Content does necessarily reflect the views of LIRNE.NET, infoDev, the
> World Bank, the International Telecommunication Union or any other
> organisation associated with the World Dialogue on Regulation.
>
> -----------------------------
>
> World Dialogue on Regulation
> c/o LIRNE.NET
> Technical University of Denmark
> Center for Tele-Information, Building 371
> 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, DENMARK
> Email: info at regulateonline.org
> Phone: +45 4587 1577 - Fax: +45 4596 3171
> http://www.regulateonline.org
> -----------------------------
>
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> list made up of people who are interested in the interdisciplinary 
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>
jeremy hunsinger
jhuns at vt.edu
on the ibook
www.cddc.vt.edu
www.cddc.vt.edu/jeremy
www.dromocracy.com