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technologies (ICTs).
1.2 Globalization, aspects, and
consequences in the region
1.2.1 In the latter half of the 20th century,
the development of industry and
transportation marked the start of an
economic globalization process, that
accelerated in the 1990s owing to the
development of telecommunications and its
infrastructure and, in recent years, to the
phenomenal growth of the Internet and the
emergence of new services and technologies.
In that context, telecommunications has
become a strategic sector for the political,
social, economic, financial, and cultural
development of every nation.
1.2.2 Accordingly, formulation of public
sector telecommunication policies would
benefit from assessments of: world, regional,
and national economies; production processes
and financial policies; the impact of particular
models on growth or recession; fiscal and
exchange policies; research and development;
and the role of national states.
1.2.3 The development of ICTs, the
proliferation of services and applications, and
major expansions of networks have led to a
concentration of technological research and
development. For some Administrations, it is
important to provide incentives to research
and development of products and
technological solutions in the countries of the
Region, exchanging experiences and studies,
both from the public and from the private
sector, and those of universities and research
and development centers, taking account of
relevant existing solutions to reach remote
and marginal areas in the countries of the
region.
1.2.4 Some Administrations consider that,
just as tele communications has played and
continues to play a key part in the
globalization process, governments and the
players involved should seek to reach
consensus regarding measures intended to
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contribute to the universal availability of
telecommunication servic es and the
strengthening of human resource training for
production and socially-inclusive economic
growth capacity-building of human resources
trained for production, along with the
necessary economic growth with social
inclusion.
1.2.5 In this framewor k, each country
might seek, in accordance with its
governmental policies, to make appropriate
amendments to telecommunication service
regulations. In light of some countries’
experience, this review should not imply a
return to regulatory regimes that have
manifested deficiencies. On the contrary,
governments might promote actions
facilitating coordination among service
providers and related industries via
management models that optimize the
relationship between general welfare and
freedom of trade.
1.2. 6 Some countries believe that
coordination of the telecommunication sector
with national and regional industry as a
whole would promote the countries’ integral
development, thereby stimulating local
markets and, in turn, increasing demand for
telecommunication services.
1.3 Technological change and
convergence
1.3.1 Inevitably, the media did not refrain
from involvement in the recent generalized
process of technological change.
Telecommunication infrastructure, in
particular, swiftly underwent such change,
which emanated from different and unrelated
sources of technological development, so that
some disorder is now evident. Some
equipment suppliers therefore channeled their
development towards applications which, as
they were intended for market segments with
substantial purchasing power, focused on
functional or comfort aspects; others directed
their efforts towards developing cheaper,
more reliable traditional products; while there