Telecommunications in South Africa: Who is Actually Regulating?

18 Pages Posted: 26 Aug 2011 Last revised: 6 Sep 2011

See all articles by Louis-Francois Pau

Louis-Francois Pau

Copenhagen Business School (CBS); Rotterdam School of Management; L.M. Ericsson; GIBS

Date Written: August 26, 2011

Abstract

Although the Republic of South Africa telecommunications market is a maturing one with a large customer base to serve, it has been repeatedly been observed over the past few years that many good intentions were formulated in the regulatory sphere with sometimes poor outcomes. A number of surprising observations have been made on the outcomes, the delays or other process related events linked to regulatory measures. The paper thus researches first who is actually regulating the telecommunications industry, and identifies next opportunities and bottlenecks whereby a change might happen to reach the expected outcomes. A political economy methodology is taken, backed up by extensive field work over 2010 and 2011, leading to a web of conjectures providing answers to the first question, based on an extensive analysis of key stakeholders goals, positions and interactions. Finally, a number of measures are proposed to improve the regulatory impact and efficiency, and evolve the South African telecommunications eco-system.

Suggested Citation

Pau, Louis-Francois, Telecommunications in South Africa: Who is Actually Regulating? (August 26, 2011). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1917335 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1917335

Louis-Francois Pau (Contact Author)

Copenhagen Business School (CBS) ( email )

Solbjerg Plads 3
Frederiksberg C, DK - 2000
Denmark

Rotterdam School of Management ( email )

P.O. Box 1738
Room T08-21
3000 DR Rotterdam, 3000 DR
Netherlands

L.M. Ericsson ( email )

Kista
Sweden

GIBS ( email )

Lynnwood Road
Pretoria 5100, 0002
South Africa

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