The new role of the state in telecommunications: An international comparison

The role of the state in telecommunications has changed significantly in the last decade. The old PTT model, characterised by a public administration with exclusive rights, has been replaced by a new institutional arrangement in most advanced industrial countries. The direct provision of services by the state has been cut back and commercialised, and public monopolies have given way to private activities. This retreat of the state, however, is only one side of the coin. Based on comparative empirical evidence on telecommunications policies in Western Europe, it is argued that the state also plays a key role within the new institutional arrangements which have evolved in this sector.