Global telecom regulatory reform

This dissertation considers the rapid spread of liberal telecommunications reforms and asks why more than 129 countries enacted liberal reforms during the 1990s. Conventional explanations from political economy and international relations cannot explain the breadth or spread of these reforms. I argue that international organizations play a critical role in the diffusion of institutional innovations and regulatory reform in telecommunications. International organizations help create and shape preferences for reform and also provide forums for expert discussions and the emergence of policy standards for telecom regulation. The argument is first presented through statistical analysis of the timing of telecom regulatory reform in 184 countries from 1975--2003. It is then developed through a comparative analysis of regulatory environments in Europe, in both Central Europe and Northern Europe. These findings fill an important gap in the literature on globalization, the timing of economic reform, and the spread of liberal policies.