Towards more effective regulatory reforms : Four empirical essays on the telecommunications reforms in MENA region.

Summary Currently, the telecommunications sector is still concerned with issues related to the triptych of "regulation (re-regulation), privatization and liberalization. Although the regulatory framework of the telecommunications industry has changed radically since the 1980s, much remains to be done, especially in developing countries. Due to pressure from international institutions, developing countries are currently privatizing their incumbent operators, liberalizing their sectors, and creating independent regulatory institutions. The case of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region can be distinguished from two perspectives. First, MENA countries lag behind other developing countries in implementing reforms. Second, the institutional, political, and economic nature of these countries shapes their decisions regarding the adoption of reforms. This thesis proposes to analyze reform adoption by taking into account the institutional, political, and economic nature of MENA countries. We also aim to empirically test the effect of reform sequences on sector performance. The impact of telecom market restrictions on telecom performance is also addressed. Finally, we study the phenomenon of fixed-mobile substitution in the MENA region and its implications. We obtain empirical results that are used to develop policy options for the telecom sector in MENA countries.