In recognition of the fundamentalimportance of an appropriate regulatory environment toaccelerate connectivity, and access to information services,this handbook provides a practical reference source, on themethods used to regulate the telecommunications sectoraround the world, emphasizing best practices. The focus ison practices that promote the efficient supply oftelecommunications services in a competitive marketplace. Itoffers a useful compilation of descriptions, and analyses ofregulatory practices, and approaches applied in a wide rangeof countries. The handbook outlines the various factors thatmotivated the liberalization of telecommunications markets,i.e., increased growth, and fast innovations for betterservices; the need to expand and upgrade telecommunicationsnetworks with new services; growth of the Internet; ofmobile and other wireless services; and, of internationaltrade in telecommunications services. These factorscompelled regulatory objectives to foster competitivemarkets to promote efficient supply of telecommunications,and quality at affordable prices. To this end, licensingtelecommunications services, interconnection, priceregulation, competition policy, and universal service arepresented to form the framework for telecommunications regulation.