Canada, South Korea, Netherlands and Sweden: regulatory implications of the convergence of telecommunications, broadcasting and Internet services

Canada, South Korea, Netherlands, and Sweden, are four of the five leading broadband markets in the world. For these four countries, this article reviews the status of telephony, video, and Internet service markets, and identifies the major issues related to government mandates, network access, ownership, and content issues. All four countries seek to create a regulatory environment that allows for effective competition in communications. All four countries have competition among different broadband platforms, whether these are wireline telecom network, cable network, wireless, or local area networks (LANS). Furthermore, several near-term policy challenges arise such as the scope and authority of regulatory and policymaking bodies, unresolved questions on network access, and content policy. However, debates on ownership issues, as related to convergence, appear to be deferred.