Skip to content
1981
  1. Home
  2. A-Z Publications
  3. Journal of Digital Media & Policy
  4. Volume 13, Issue 3
  5. Article
Volume 13, Issue 3
  • ISSN: 2516-3523
  • E-ISSN: 2516-3531

Abstract

In the late 1990s, Jordan and Morocco revised their telecommunications regulation drastically. Though these regulations were first largely inspired by the European Union policy models, each country gradually developed more autonomy, individually tailoring their regulatory frameworks overtime. The case of Universal Service Obligation (USO) policies show that while Jordan remained aligned with the European Union, Moroccan policy-makers diverged from the European Union by adopting alternative policies, inspired by the Latin American reverse-auction models. Research focusing on Euro-Mediterranean regulatory contexts commonly expect neighbouring countries to converge with EU regulatory models. Yet, borrowing on policy diffusion literature and specifically the mechanisms of learning and imitation, this article shows that policy-takers intentionally decided on the (non)adoption of USO policies. Thus, research needs to take the role of policy-takers seriously and acknowledge avenues for bidirectional convergence.

© 2022 Intellect Ltd
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/jdmp_00039_1
2022-10-01
2026-02-09
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Acharya, A.. ( 2014;), ‘ Global international relations (IR) and regional worlds: A new agenda for international studies. ’, International Studies Quarterly, 58:4, pp. 647–59.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. ANRT ( 2006;), ‘ Note d’Orientations Générales Relative à la Mise en Oeuvre du Service Universel de Télécommunications au Royaume du Maroc, Période 2006–2008. ’, 18 April, www.anrt.ma/publications/notes-dorientations-generales. Accessed 9 July 2020.
  3. ARCEP ( 2020;), ‘ Le Service Universel des Communications Electroniques. ’, 30 April, https://www.arcep.fr/la-regulation/grands-dossiers-reseaux-fixes/le-service-universel-des-communications-electroniques.html. Accessed 9 July 2020.
  4. Barari, H. B.. ( 2015;), ‘ The persistence of autocracy: Jordan, Morocco and the Gulf. ’, Middle East Critique, 24:1, pp. 99–111.
     [Google Scholar]
  5. Bauer, J. M.. ( 2010;), ‘ Learning from each other: Promises and pitfalls of benchmarking in communication policy. ’, Info, 12:6, pp. 8–20.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Bennett, C. J.. ( 1997;), ‘ Understanding ripple effects: The cross-national adoption of policy instruments for bureaucratic accountability. ’, Governance-an International Journal of Policy and Administration, 10:3, pp. 213–33.
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Beyers, J.. ( 2010;), ‘ Conceptual and methodological challenges in the study of European socialization. ’, Journal of European Public Policy, 17:6, pp. 909–20.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Börzel, T. A.. ( 2011;), ‘ When Europe hits... beyond its borders: Europeanization and the near abroad. ’, Comparative European Politics, 9:4&5, pp. 394–413.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Brumberg, D.. ( 2002;), ‘ The trap of liberalized autocracy. ’, Journal of Democracy, 13:4, pp. 56–68.
     [Google Scholar]
  10. Cardwell, P. J.. ( 2011;), ‘ EuroMed, European neighbourhood policy and the union for the Mediterranean: Overlapping policy frames in the EU’s governance of the Mediterranean. ’, Journal of Common Market Studies, 49:2, pp. 219–41.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Carril, H. M., and Mealla, G.. ( 2000;), El Servicio Universal en las Américas. , Washington, DC:: Comision Interamericana de Telecomunicaciones (CITEL), Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA);, https://www.citel.oas.org/en/SiteAssets/About-Citel/Publications/Servicio-Universal_e.pdf. Accessed 9 July 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Christiansen, T.,, Petito, F., and Tonra, B.. ( 2000;), ‘ Fuzzy politics around fuzzy borders: The European Union’s “near abroad”. ’, Co-operation and Conflict, 35:4, pp. 389–415.
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Del Sarto, R. A.. ( 2016;), ‘ Normative empire Europe: The European Union, its borderlands, and the “Arab Spring”. ’, Journal of Common Market Studies, 54:2, pp. 215–32.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Dobbin, F.,, Simmons, B., and Garrett, G.. ( 2007;), ‘ The global diffusion of public policies: Social construction, coercion, competition, or learning?. ’, Annual Review of Sociology, 33, pp. 449–72.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Donoso Abarca, L.. ( 2002;), ‘ Servicio Universal de Telecomunicaciones. ’, revista Chilena de Derecho Informatico, 1, pp. 31–50.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Elkins, Z., and Simmons, B.. ( 2005;), ‘ On waves, clusters, and diffusion: A conceptual framework. ’, Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 598:1, pp. 33–51.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. El-Moghazi, M.,, Whalley, J., and Irvine, J.. ( 2013;), ‘ World Radiocommunication Conference 12: Reflections on the spectrum policy debate. ’, Intermedia, 41:1, pp. 23–25.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. EMERG ( 2012a;), ‘ Charter of the European Mediterranean Regulators Group. ’, http://www.emergonline.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=39. Accessed 9 July 2020.
  19. EMERG ( 2012b;), ‘ Towards sound and efficient regulatory frameworks for a healthy electronic communications sector in the Euro-Mediterranean region. ’, http://www.emergonline.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=39. Accessed 21 July 2017.
  20. European Commission ( 1995;), Barcelona Declaration. , http://www.eeas.europa.eu/archives/docs/euromed/docs/bd_en.pdf. Accessed 9 July 2020.
  21. European Commission ( 2011;), ‘ Communication on universal service in E-communications. ’, COM(2011) 795 Final, Brussels:.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. European Commission ( 2015;), ‘ NATP II: Telecommunications policy. ’, http://www.euneighbours.eu/en/south/eu-in-action/projects/natp-ii-telecommunications-policy. Accessed 9 July 2020.
  23. European Commission ( 2016;), ‘ European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). ’, https://eeas.europa.eu/diplomatic-network/european-neighbourhood-policy-enp/330/european-neighbourhood-policy-enp_en. Accessed 5 May 2020.
  24. European Parliament ( 1998;), ‘ Briefing 23: Legal questions of enlargement. ’, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/enlargement/briefings/23a2_en.htm#F7. Accessed 10 June 2020.
  25. European Parliament ( 2015), Briefing: Broadband as a Universal Service, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2016/581977/EPRS_BRI(2016)581977_EN.pdf. Accessed 9 July 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  26. European Parliament and European Council ( 2002), Directive on Universal Service and Users’ Rights, Directive 2002/22/EC .
     [Google Scholar]
  27. European Parliament and European Council ( 2009), Directive on Universal Service and Users’ Rights, Directive 2009/136/EC .
     [Google Scholar]
  28. European Union and Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan ( 2005;), EU-Jordan Action Plan. , https://eeas.europa.eu/sites/eeas/files/2013_jordan_action_plan_en.pdf. Accessed 9 July 2020.
  29. European Union and Kingdom of Morocco ( 2005;), EU-Morocco Action Plan. , https://www.iemed.org/docs_oficials_migracio/acords_informes_pais/MARROC/ACTION_PLAN/morocco_action_plan_eu_EN.pdf. Accessed 9 July 2020.
  30. Eurostat ( 2020;), ‘ European Union statistics. ’, http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib. Accessed 3 March 2020.
  31. Evans, M.. ( 2006;), ‘ At the interface between theory and practice: Policy transfer and lesson-drawing. ’, Public Administration, 84:2, pp. 479–89.
     [Google Scholar]
  32. Freyburg, T.,, Garbe, L., and Wavre, V.. ( forthcoming), Telecommunications Ownership and Control (TOSCO): A New Dataset on Internet Infrastructure in Africa, 2000–2016, publisher and location TBC .
     [Google Scholar]
  33. Gänzle, S.. ( 2009;), ‘ EU governance and the European neighbourhood policy: A framework for analysis. ’, Europe-Asia Studies, 61:10, pp. 715–34.
     [Google Scholar]
  34. Humphreys, P., and Simpson, S.. ( 2008;), ‘ Globalization, the “competition” state and the rise of the “regulatory” state in European telecommunications. ’, Journal of Common Market Studies, 46:4, pp. 849–74.
     [Google Scholar]
  35. Hurrell, A.. ( 2006;), ‘ Hegemony, liberalism and global order: What space for would-be great powers?. ’, International Affairs, 82:1, pp. 1–19.
     [Google Scholar]
  36. ITU ( 2011;), ‘ SADC toolkit on universal access funding and universal service fund implementation. ’, https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Projects/ITU-EC-ACP/HIPSSA/Pages/HIPSSA_Preparatory_work/Universal_service_Access.aspx. Accessed 20 May 2020.
  37. Langbein, J., and Börzel, T. A.. ( 2013;), ‘ Introduction: Explaining policy change in the European Union’s eastern neighbourhood. ’, Europe-Asia Studies, 65:4, pp. 571–80.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Lange, C.,, Kosiankowski, D., and Gladisch, A.. ( 2016), Power and Energy Efficiency of Telecom Equipment in the Context of Dynamic Capacity Scaling, New York:: IEEE;.
     [Google Scholar]
  39. Lavenex, S.. ( 2004;), ‘ EU external governance in “wider Europe”. ’, Journal of European Public Policy, 11:4, pp. 680–700.
     [Google Scholar]
  40. Meseguer, C.. ( 2005;), ‘ Policy learning, policy diffusion, and the making of a new order. ’, Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 598:1, pp. 67–82.
     [Google Scholar]
  41. OECD and ITU ( 2018;), ITU iLibrary. , https://www.itu-ilibrary.org/. Accessed 20 May 2020.
  42. Rose, R.. ( 1991;), ‘ What is lesson-drawing?. ’, Journal of Public Policy, 11:1, pp. 3–30.
     [Google Scholar]
  43. Schimmelfennig, F., and Sedelmeier, U.. ( 2004;), ‘ Governance by conditionality: EU rule transfer to the candidate countries of Central and Eastern Europe. ’, Journal of European Public Policy, 11:4, pp. 661–79.
     [Google Scholar]
  44. Schmitt, C.. ( 2015;), ‘ Social security development and the colonial legacy. ’, World Development, 70, pp. 332–42.
     [Google Scholar]
  45. Shipan, C. R., and Volden, C.. ( 2008;), ‘ The mechanisms of policy diffusion. ’, American Journal of Political Science, 52:4, pp. 840–57.
     [Google Scholar]
  46. Simmons, B.,, Dobbin, F., and Garrett, G.. ( 2008), The Global Diffusion of Markets and Democracy, Cambridge and New York:: Cambridge University Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  47. Solar Alvarez, G., and Cairampoma Arroyo, A.. ( 2010), El Régimen Legal del Servicio Universal en Telecomunicaciones: El Caso Peruano del Fondo de Inversión en Telecomunicaciones: FITEL, Lima:: Adrus;.
     [Google Scholar]
  48. Starke, P.. ( 2013;), ‘ Qualitative methods for the study of policy diffusion: Challenges and available solutions. ’, Policy Studies Journal, 41:4, pp. 561–82.
     [Google Scholar]
  49. TechTerms ( 2020;), ‘ Definition: ISDN. ’, http://techterms.com/definition/isdn. Accessed 9 July 2020.
  50. TRC ( 2006;), ‘ Information memorandum on the universal service obligation. ’, https://trc.gov.jo/EchoBusV3.0/SystemAssets/En/Regulations/USO%20Infomem%20final%20-%20240406.pdf. Accessed 21 July 2017.
  51. Vinatea Recoba, L.. ( 2006;), ‘ Convergencia: Necesidad de Iniciar un Cambio Regulatorio para las Telecommunications en el Perú. ’, Derecho & Sociedad, 26, pp. 180–86.
     [Google Scholar]
  52. Wavre, V.. ( 2018), Policy Diffusion and Telecommunications Regulations, Basingstoke:: Palgrave Macmillan;.
     [Google Scholar]
  53. Wavre, V., and Freyburg, T.. ( 2020;), ‘ Leapfrogging the EU: Telecommunications regulation in Morocco. ’, in R. A. Del Sarto, and S. Tholens. (eds), Resisting Europe: Practices of Contestation in the Mediterranean Middle East, Ann Arbor, MI:: University of Michigan Press;.
     [Google Scholar]
  54. World Bank ( 2011), Telecommunications Regulation Handbook, , 10th anniversary edition., http://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-d/opb/reg/D-REG-TRH.01-2011-PDF-E.pdf. Accessed 8 August 2015.
     [Google Scholar]
  55. World Bank ( 2020;), ‘ World development indicators. ’, https://databank.worldbank.org/source/world-development-indicators/. Accessed 3 March 2020.
  56. Wavre, Veronique. ( 2022;), ‘ The rise of the policy-takers: Universal service policy adoption in Jordan and Morocco. ’, Journal of Digital Media & Policy, 13:3, pp. 351–67, https://doi.org/10.1386/jdmp_00039_1
     [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1386/jdmp_00039_1
Loading
The rise of the policy-takers: Universal service policy adoption in Jordan and Morocco
Journal of Digital Media & Policy 13, 351 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1386/jdmp_00039_1
/content/journals/10.1386/jdmp_00039_1
/content/journals/10.1386/jdmp_00039_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): bidirectional convergence; global South; internet access; policy diffusion; regulatory emancipation; telecommunications infrastructure; universal service

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error
Please enter a valid_number test