Regulation is designed to create a level playing field for the development of competition by defining the right balance between competing objectives such as:

• Consumer interests
• Investment incentives
• The long term growth and development of the communications sector.

The design of regulatory frameworks, mechanisms and remedies is a complex task and needs to take into account:

• Sector policy objectives
• Technological developments (Next Generation Networks (NGN), etc)
• The evolution of the market
• Potential sources of market failure and appropriate remedies
• Regulatory Impact Analysis.

Our capability statement on Telecoms Regulation: Strategy and Policy sets out how we provide assistance to telecoms operators, regulators and other stakeholders. Our Statement of Experience provides examples of our work for clients across the globe.

What are the issues?

• What are the key issues, which should be high on the regulatory agenda over the next few years?
• What are the trade-offs between certain regulatory issues and options?
• How can different forms of anticompetitive behaviour be identified, e.g. a price squeeze, a margin squeeze, or predatory pricing?
• When do positive impacts of mergers outweigh the reduction of competition in the mobile industry?
• How can empirical evidence and economic and technical principles be used to support operators and regulators in the context of impact analyses and case building?
• Which services should be made available universally throughout a given jurisdiction, what would this cost and how should it be funded?
• How can shareholder value be maintained in the context of growing complexity in regulatory obligations and competitive challenge?
• What terms and prices should be agreed for current and future interconnection services?

How we can help?

• Our global network of telecoms regulation and technology specialists bring together the relevant skills needed to provide in-depth advice to operators and regulators
• We work in partnership with our clients to establish coherent scenarios for the development of regulation and provide quantitative assessment of their impact
• We can help with:
  • drafting policy papers on specific issues for internal discussion
  • providing support during regulatory submissions, including developing coherent and robust arguments for responses
  • designing regulatory policy and frameworks including regulatory roadmaps and organisational design
• We aim to complement your team and strengthen their capabilities in the regulatory arena.

PwC’s Telecommunications Regulation services include: 

• Regulatory strategy and case building
• Sector Policy
• Cost Modelling
• Interconnection
• Retail Price Regulation
• Retail Pricing Strategy
• Cost of Capital
• Comparative Efficiency Analysis
• Separation Support
• Regulatory accounting
• Business modelling
• Competition policy
• Next Generation Networks (NGN)
• Universal Service Obligations (USO)
• Mobile termination rate
• Number Portability
• Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) Access
• Spectrum allocation and policy
• Regulatory Compliance and Assurance