The ITU and national regulatory authorities in the era of liberalization

Abstract

As one of the most important organizations regulating telecommunications, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has a strong influence on the activities of National Regulatory Authorities (NRA)s. With the trend towards liberalization well underway, it is vital to study the relationships between the ITU and NRAs in this new era. This article examines the ITU's various functions and shows how they are vital to NRAs. It demonstrates that, notwithstanding the entry of the World Trade Organization into the telecommunications field, the ITU still has a role to play and that better cooperation between it and NRAs will lead to the healthy development of telecommunications. © 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.