Champions of competition travel the world peddling a carefully crafted deregulatory framework for telecommunications. They encourage obstacle-free market entry, leading to multi-carrier markets that produce innovative services at lower prices to more users. While these principles sound as though they are beyond reproach, many governments have exhibited caution, fearing that funding through traditional settlement subsidies will wane. While the chorus for deregulation and the need to bridge the "digital divide" continues, the uncertainty of many existing regulatory environments discourages major investments in competitive offerings. In many instances, the best approach for would-be competitors in this regulatory limbo is to begin with small steps - - engaging gradually in new services that require little upfront investment and which can introduce immediate and tangible benefits to consumers. In this way, new market entrants can lead regulators by the hand, helping to ease the fear of the journey into the unchartered waters of the new services and technologies of the digital age.
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