Measuring and comparing the distribution of decision-making power in regulatory arrangements of the telecommunication sector in Latin America

Abstract

In this paper, I measure and compare the distribution of decision-making power in regulatory arrangements in the telecommunication sectors of four Latin American countries. In particular, I measure the coordination of the decision-making process and the concentration of regulatory influence. Additionally, I measure the relative influence of each actor involved in the regulatory arrangement. To perform these measurements, I introduce, refine and apply a recently developed methodology. I found that there are significant differences across countries and across types of regulation. Furthermore, I found that the sector regulator is not necessarily the most important actor in every country.