Telco and broadband people - help me with my thesis

I'm in the finishing stages of an MA thesis in politics. The case study is of broadband policy in New Zealand from 2000 to 2011.

Can you help me out with your view on a question?

The case study documents the rising tide of state involvement in (tele)communications - in regulatory and in investment decisions. The details are not the purpose of my ask so don't worry about that too much.

Here's the question: why was this rising tide consistently rising regardless of the political colour of the government of the day?

Ideological, interest group, voter bloc or distribution don't especially well explain...

What does is a universalist liberal view that the installation of high speed broadband is an economic imperative, an infrastructure states must guarantee access to.

What do you think? Comments fine or email me.

Comments

[Andrew Cushen]

Well done - its about time this was finished Jordan, it has been around your neck the entire time I have known you.

My thoughts as to why:

1. Telecommunications regulation was in vogue. We were picking up on what was happening in other, similar jurisdictions...

2. ...Driven in part by a realisation in all the same jurisdictions that telco was a less-than-properly competitve mess, helped along by some healthy agitation by new entrants, and with a really convincing consumer benefit story.

I don't buy your "universalist liberal view" - that came later, particularly in 2008 once govt decided it needed to directly invest. The original imperative for the telco act in 2001 was more about getting the competitive roadblocks out of the way to allow the market to deliver outcomes - and it did, in terms of proliferation of providers, alternative network construction, pricing improvements etc.

I reckon that type of thinking dominated through much of the period you're considering.

[JIm]

Very simple = populist politics, Telcos are easy targets.

[Stormrose]

The first poster had it spot on. I think that broadband investment was too big for the market to resolve in a timely and ordered fashion so govt. intervention was necessary. Much the same case as why govts built power stations and roads - we economically need these things. Broadband is the same.
The difference, in the case was that the delivery platform for broadband was already owned by a private company (which ironically the govt built then sold). That company was acting in shareholder interests and the govt. contract with them needed negotiation. I think universal liberalism is a difficult case to make: it's a more pragmatic case. This is where we need NZ to be, how do we get there legally.

[Tristan Rossiter-Sheehy]

Two forces in play I think.

1. The growing use and reliance on internet connections. There seems to be a real sense that having internet access and fast internet access at that is a right all new zealanders should have. There seems to be a public mood for government to protect or enforce that right. The same mood exsits with landline phones for many people and I think for alot of people that mood has moved towards broadband and away from thier phone line

2. Political mileage. Using strong rhetoric against Telecom has always been great bread and butter stuff for news papers and polticans. The IT portfolio is not a major one for opposition MPS so if you wanted to get on the front page a few choice words about Telecom would usually do it.

[Gale Blikshavn (as was)]

Conspiracy theory in me reckons the Government probably wants to keep their hand in with a long term view of licencing users to make money from it or monitor it / block sites like China already does...? Anyway Government blocks info already as it already does with the government tv channels. What news on more public servant jobs going and super ministries.. sounds like we're being dragged into a tyranny, surely the way out of economic hardship for the country is for the government to provide jobs for the people not load up the employment queues with ex public servants... its dark times and will take years to put right. Anyway good luck with the thesis Jordan hope alls well at Internetnz I see Peter and most of the old crew have gone, hi to Debbie.