The digital divide and the competitive behaviour of Internet backbone providers: Part 2 – a way forward

Against the background of international telecommunications liberalization and declining settlement payments for many developing countries, charging arrangements for Internet interconnection services (IIS) have become a controversial issue. Following on from the author’s article in the previous issue of info, which reviewed the complaints and counter‐arguments regarding whether current charging arrangements for Internet interconnection are inequitable and subject to anti‐competitive behaviour on the part of Internet backbone providers, this paper reviews proposals for action and makes a number of recommendations as to how to move the debate usefully forward, including a number of positive measures that developing countries can take themselves, as well as measures requiring cooperation among complainant and “complacent” countries.