Telecommunications regulation and broadband development : implications for the Andean region

Abstract

In the early 21st century, fixed-line telephony was pushed into the background by the advent of mobile telephony, which is now being challenged by internet protocol (IP) communications, observe Guillermo Mastrini and Carolina Aguerre. This raises the need for policies for the development of broadband in Latin America to promote the economic and social progress of the region’s countries and the well-being of individuals, communities and peoples. Mastrini and Aguerre stress that we are currently facing a key moment in the definition of new paradigms for media and telecommunications policies, and that public policies for these areas should be guided by the public interest. They conclude that developing a broadband network that ensures universal access and affordable prices for the entire population entails a new challenge for democratic telecommunications policies.