Universal Access in Developing Countries: A Particular Focus on Bangladesh

• Published in: The Information society Vol. 20; no. 4; pp. 269 - 278
• Main Author: Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan, A. J. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Taylor & Francis Group 01-09-2004; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis LLC
• Subjects: Access; Automotive components; Bangladesh; Developing Countries; Exact sciences and technology; Information and communication sciences; Information economics. Information policy; Information science. Documentation; International Economic Organizations; Internet access; LDCs; liberalization; Library and information science. General aspects; Licensing; Operators; Policies; Political aspects : cooperation, coordination, standardization; Privatization; Sciences and techniques of general use; Studies; telecommunication; Telecommunications; Telecommunications industry; Telecommunications Policy; universal access; Universal access concept; Vehicles; WTO; Asia; Bangladesh; Liberalisation; Developing countries; Telecommunication; Information access; World Trade Organization; Privatisation; Recommendation; universal access; liberalization; Bangladesh; WTO; privatization; Regulation policy
• ISSN: 0197-2243; 1087-6537
• DOI: 10.1080/01972240490480983

The concept of universal access, which originated in the United States, is now part of the telecommunications policy frameworks of many developing countries. This article uses the case of Bangladesh as a vehicle for examining the transferability of the universal service concept to developing countries. The analysis suggests that liberalization and privatization of the telecommunications sector policies pushed by the World Trade Organization (WTO), the World Bank, and other international agencies, will not by themselves create universal access in countries with rudimentary urban-centric networks. The policymakers need to incorporate build-out obligations when licensing operators and also develop cross-subsidy mechanisms even though they are now out of fashion in the industrialized world.