DNTA
David N. Townsend & Associates
Communications Economics, Policy, Regulation
Services
Telecommunications Policy and Regulation Advisory Support
David N. Townsend & Associates provides several forms of advisory assistance to
national and state governments in developing telecommunications policies and regulation.
Projects include research, analysis, and direct support in the areas of sector
restructuring, tariff policy, competitive licensing, interconnection, service regulation,
rules and procedures, and market impact analysis. These types of assignments can be
undertaken for individual governments and agencies, or as general or broad-based studies
for international institutions, or on a multiclient basis. Hands-on advisory services and
collaboration, studies, recommendations, public testimony, presentations, implementation
strategies. (Click here for representative project
descriptions.) See also David N. Townsend & Associates Regulatory
Institution Development services, for agency strengthening and training projects.
The following examples describe the main types of policy and regulation advisory
projects, and identify examples of prior projects undertaken and managed by David N.
Townsend (both independently and through the consulting firm of Economics and Technology,
Inc.):
- National and state infrastructure, policy frameworks
- Studies and policy recommendations concerning broad questions of a nation's or state's
overall telecommunications infrastructure goals, basic industry organization and
development strategies, and fundamental regulatory objectives. Projects can include, for
example, review of a country's present market structure and recommendations for changes in
entry restrictions or state ownership; or studies of the impact of new technologies or
economic factors upon evolving industry conditions and policy options.
Representative projects:
- ITU Regulatory Colloquium No. VI: The Regulatory Implications of Convergence
in the Telecommunications Industry
- A comprehensive report for the ITU on the issues and challenges for regulators arising
from the convergence of markets and technologies for telephone, television, Internet, and
other categories of communications services.
- Costa Rica, Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE): Study of
Telecommunications Market Structure and Policy Options in Costa Rica (1996)
- A study of the entire telecommunications industry in Costa Rica, including market
prospects for new and competitive services, with recommendations for policy changes to
restructure the sector.
- Competition, market opening policies; licensing, interconnection
- Sector or company-specific advisory projects aimed at examining options and developing
detailed implementation plans to support the introduction of competition and new services
to the telecommunications industry. Advice in this area can include review of market
opening plans, new carrier concessions, and interconnection agreements, with
recommendations based upon market economic analysis and international comparative studies.
Representative projects:
- Estados Unidos de México, Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Desarrollo Tecnológico
(SCDT): Strategic Development for the Mexican Telecommunications Sector (1993-1994)
- Assisted in a comprehensive support project for the long-term development of the Mexican
telecommunications industry, providing recommendations on market opening, regulation, and
competitive concessions.
- Côte d'Ivoire, Agence des Télécommunications (ATCI): Study of the
Tarification of Interconnection Services (1996-1997)
- Conducted a study of interconnection policy options and international tariff experience
for the Ivory Coast regulatory agency, presenting specific recommendations on
interconnection for cellular and other non-basic carriers.
- Tariff and service regulation, methods, analysis
- Assistance in developing specific regulations, tariffs, procedures, and methodologies
for telecommunication carriers and services. These projects can be aimed at a single new
service, or an entire system of regulation. See also Regulatory
Institution Development services, for projects concentrating on regulatory methods,
tools, and training.
Other Services
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