Re‐thinking universal service policy for the digital era: setting the scene – an introduction to the special issue on universal service

Feijóo, Claudio; Milne, Claire

doi:10.1108/14636690810904661

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…We further contribute to the digital divide literature by providing a more in-depth understanding of the institutional challenges of using USF in Africa. Despite the popularity of UAS and USF as a telecommunications reform policy, prior literature has predominantly focused on USF in Asia (Jain and Das, 2001;Xia and Lu, 2008), Europe (Feijoo and Milne, 2008;Simon, 2008), South America (Hudson, 2010) and the United States (Hudson and Rockefeller, 2009), with little research exploring the African context. Arakpogun et al (2017) are a notable exception in this respect.…”

Section: Theoretical Contributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bridging the digital divide in Africa via universal service funds: an institutional theory perspective

Arakpogun

Whalley

Wanjiru

et al. 2023

ITP

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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide evidence-based policy recommendations for improving the implementation of universal service funds (USF) with a view to closing the digital divide in Africa.Design/methodology/approachThe paper adopts a qualitative approach that draws examples from various African countries supported by 25 interviews from key stakeholders with hands-on experience and roles that shape telecommunications policy in Africa and other developing countries.FindingsThe study's findings point out that institutional voids which characterize several African countries inhibit the effectiveness of USF in African countries. The authors identify several institutional and organisational factors and explain how they negatively affect the performance of USF. The authors find that in order to overcome these obstacles, there is a need for a clear redefinition of Universal Access and Service (UAS) policies, restructuring the governance of USF, encouraging cross-sectoral collaborations, and bottom-up initiatives to bridge the digital divide in African countries.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the underexplored USF literature by shedding light on the role of institutional factors in determining the success of USF. The paper thus complements and provides a different perspective on promoting digital inclusion in Africa from the viewpoint of institutional voids, bringing new insights into the existing literature on how to deal with an intractable area of UAS policy and the wider digital divide debate in developing countries.

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Section: Theoretical Contributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bridging the digital divide in Africa via universal service funds: an institutional theory perspective

Arakpogun

Whalley

Wanjiru

et al. 2023

ITP

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“…Unlike the paucity of studies on universal service in Africa, an extensive literature exists in relation to developed countries (see, for example, Batura, 2014;Blackman, 1995;Clarke & Wallsten, 2002;Dordick, 1990;Feijoo & Karniti, 2007;Feijoo & Milne, 2008;Hasbi, 2015;Hatta 2008;Longstaff, 1996;Wirzenius, 2008;Xavier, 2008).…”

Section: [Tables 1 and 2 About Here]mentioning

confidence: 99%

Impediments to the implementation of universal service funds in Africa – A cross-country comparative analysis

Arakpogun

Wanjiru

Whalley

2017

Telecommunications Policy

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The liberalisation of the telecommunications sector has undoubtedly contributed to the spread and adoption of mobile telephony across Africa but evidence also points to the fact that coverage gaps persist in some locations-mainly rural and remote areas-which are either unserved or underserved. In order to address this problem, governments across Africa have established universal service funds (USF) as their universal service strategy. Nonetheless, various studies have suggested that the problem of limited coverage remains unaddressed due, in part, to the poor implementation of USF. This raises the question as to why USF have failed to address the limited coverage of telecommunication services in Africa? We seek to answer this question by investigating the interplay between market liberalisation and universal service using a multiple case study approach with examples drawn from across the continent. We find that poor policy formulation limits the implementation of an effective USF model in Africa. In addition, inadequate stakeholder engagement, lack of accountability, inaccurate data, undue political influence and the narrow scope of universal service all impinge on the ability of USF to achieve their objectives. We, therefore, propose the need for future research to address these challenges and develop our framework to unravel some of the intractable areas of universal service such as determining what services should fall within the scope of universal service and how to prevent policy redundancy in a fast moving industry such as mobile telecommunications.

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“…To further address the issue about investment, some countries implemented liberalization alongside a cross-subsidy policy. This approach required industry players to construct lines in high cost areas in order to operate in high profit settlements or to contribute a percentage of their profit to a central fund to implement universal service projects (Feijoo and Milne, 2008;Chong and Chow, 1999).…”

Section: Case 2: Regulation and Universal Servicementioning

confidence: 99%

A systems framework to telecommunication policy: the Philippine experience, 1989‐2009

Paragas

2012

Info

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Purpose -This paper aims to present a dialogue-based systems framework using two cases in the liberalization of Philippine telecoms.Design/methodology/approach -Through a meta-analysis of government data, academic research and policy studies about Philippine telecoms, the paper presents a holistic view of the role of political, business, and social sectors in policy making and implementation.Findings -The paper shows how intra-and inter-sector dialogues have resulted in the liberalization and growth of the industry. Conversely, it shows how paucities among such dialogues have had consequences in terms of unutilized capacity and in an oversight about the medium of choice in promoting universal access. Moreover, the paper shows how policy is a product of local traditions and global policy trends.Social implications -The paper reinforces calls for states to consider technological innovation and adoption in addressing universal service goals. The Philippines also serves as a case study for other developing states which pursue an agenda of liberalization and deregulation.Originality/value -The study shows the utility of a proposed dialogue-based systems framework as a parsimonious solution to the complexity of policy studies.

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Re‐thinking universal service policy for the digital era: setting the scene – an introduction to the special issue on universal service

Cited by 9 publications

References 1 publication

Bridging the digital divide in Africa via universal service funds: an institutional theory perspective

Bridging the digital divide in Africa via universal service funds: an institutional theory perspective

Impediments to the implementation of universal service funds in Africa – A cross-country comparative analysis

A systems framework to telecommunication policy: the Philippine experience, 1989‐2009

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