ABSTRACT
Regulation, both as a legal and mi economic concept, refers to the use of legal powers by public authorities in order to direct the conduct of actors in the market. Competition is often seen as the alternative to regulation. With liberalization, efficiency costs of regulation are expected to diminish and, especially when competition emerges, the necessary adaptation of the previously protected industries is likely to increase their efficiency and competitiveness. The communication-and-information-services sector is subject to a wide range of regulations. Such regulations may create obstacles for trade in the services and/or divergent market-access conditions leading to international friction. Regulation may be judged to be appropriate in terms of its objectives or its means. At the basis of the current transformation of telecommunication, information and audio-visual sectors into an integrated whole, is the tremendous change in technology. The increased complexity of terminals has also contributed to the growing diversity and integration of telecommunication services.
