[Fwd: [APC Forum] New Book: Diversifying Participation in Network Development]
*Diversifying Participation in Network Development* http://www.regulateonline.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1044&Itemid=63 The final report from the World Dialogue on Regulation (WDR) 3rd research cycle has been released and can now be downloaded at <www.regulateonline.org>. Edited by Amy Mahan and William H. Melody, this most recent collection of the network’s research and case studies elaborates on inclusive and propoor strategies for extending network development. The book is divided into three sections. The first, entitled *Affordability and Use*, opens with a study on affordability - definitions, analysis and issues. This is followed by two demand side studies, the first focusing on mobile use by the poor; and the second assessing communication expenditures across four developing countries. The final chapter in this section reports on a survey of ICT use by SMEs in eight African countries. Section 2, *Models to Extend Participation in Network Development* considers /microfinance/, /smart subsidies/, /community owned microtelcos/ and the /extension of research networks/. The countries used to highlight these alternative approaches include Bangladesh, Nepal, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Ghana. Section 3, *Regulatory and Information Practices*, begins with two chapters dedicated to the information provision and communication practices of regulators - which are important for cultivating informed participation in regulatory processes. Next regional regulation in support of national regulators and to ensure competitive markets is examined using the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States as a case study. Further perspective on this is provided by a chapter on multinational operators in African mobile markets. The section concludes with a case study on the regulatory environment in Guyana. This report is the third in a series of research cycles that WDR is undertaking to assess different approaches to regulation in a rapidly changing telecom environment. With the advent of privatisation, competition, and converging infrastructure sectors, the role of the regulator is in a transitional phase. The first World Dialogue on Regulation research cycle assessed two emerging regulatory trends and the report, The Next Step in Telecom Reform: ICT Convergence Regulation or Multisector Utility Regulation; and the second cycle, Stimulating Investment in Network Development: Roles for Regulators - are both available for download and hardcopies of the second can be ordered from WDR.
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