Negotiating International Communications: Structure and Infrastructure

Negotiations in international telecommunications policy are characterized by a myriad of structures as well as new emerging actors ranging from bilateral framework talks between nation states and corporations, plurilateral and regional talks by the Group of Seven or Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries, as well as multilaterally at the International Telecommunication Union and within the World Trade Organization (former GATT) context. This paper highlights particular developments within the World Trade Organization in the area of telecommunications services while underscoring their relevance to the concept of "universal service.'' A further effort is made to examine the nature of competition as well as to draw attention to the need to re-think the decision-making structures within the international telecommunications regime if we are to achieve the purported goal of a truly "Global Information Infrastructure.''