Hold the Line: The Evolution of Telecommunications Provisions in Regional Trade Agreements

Based on the first comprehensive mapping of telecommunications provisions in regional trade agreements (RTAs), this paper shows that RTAs have evolved and expanded significantly over years. While some focus information communications technologies (ICT) infrastructure, policy investment, other address services as well standards conformity assessment procedures ICT equipment. The most detailed are found stand-alone chapters, sections or annexes services. A network analysis further reveals remain highly heterogenous. Only a limited number of, mostly advanced economies, tend to negotiate very their respective RTAs. many draw existing WTO rules, including Annex Telecommunications General Agreement Trade Services (GATS), GATS provisions, Reference Paper Regulatory Principles Basic Technical Barriers Trade, an increasing incorporate explicit expand disciplines new regulatory topics related services, such international roaming, net neutrality, stolen lost mobile terminal