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This paper aims to study the competition problems and market failures in the Canary Islands and propose an alternative management model for the telecommunication transmission network. This model is based on a wholesale-only open-access transmission network, available to all the retail service providers of this region, and managed by a unique entity subject to regulation with cost-based prices. The proposal hopefully will help to debate about the implementation of certain regulatory models in the network industries, concerning telecommunication submarine cables connecting archipelagos.

An empirical approach has been used, based on the observation and analysis of the regulatory policies applied to the wholesale transmission networks in the Canary Islands, Azores and Madeira archipelagos.

Results show a persistent margin squeeze situation on the retail broadband market in the Canary Islands, due to the pricing strategy on the Spanish mainland-Canaries wholesale market, which is, in turn, delaying the entry of alternatives and the level of development and efficiency of competition. The risk of duopoly collusion is also present on this wholesale market. Additionally, public aids will be needed to replace the systems connecting with the non-capital islands and to provide redundancy to El Hierro. The alternative proposal might help preventing the above. Eventually, several insights are considered for further investigation.

Little attention has been paid to this topic in the literature, regarding the analysis of regulatory policies applied over fiber optic submarine cable infrastructures in fragmented territories like archipelagos. Consequently, an empirical analysis has been accomplished to emphasize this research work, based on the regulatory policies adopted.

For the dramatically developed high voltage direct current (HVDC) power transmission, HVDC cables play a vital role in the power transmission across seas and connections with renewable power sources. However, the condition monitoring of HVDC cables is still a challenging research topic. This paper aims to understand the influence of external factors, namely, current, cavity location and material properties, on partial discharge (PD) characteristics in HVDC cable in a numerical way referring to the refined Niemeyer’s model.

The influences of the three external factors are studied by a proposed numerical model for DC PDs based on the modification of a conventional PD model for AC voltage via a finite element analysis method.

The external factors can influence the discharge magnitude and discharge repetition rate via affecting the electrical conductivity of the material: DC PD is more frequent and with higher discharge magnitude when the cavity is closer to the conductor or the current through the conductor is higher. Both DC PD repetition rate and average discharge magnitude in long-term aged material are lower than virgin material. The effect of discharge on insulation degradation becomes decreasingly significant.

The current work is based on the numerical modelling of DC PDs. Further experimental validations and comparisons are essential for improving the model.

The studies of the influence factors for PDs under HVDC voltage can benefit the research and practical power transmission on DC PDs, contributing the design and test of DC PDs in HVDC cables, exploring the understandings of the DC PDs’ mechanism.

This paper, to the best of author’s knowledge, first studies the influence factors on DC PDs based on the numerical modelling work.

This paper aims to explore how the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) can leverage broadband, as a frontier emerging market, to diversify the economy and promote growth, job creation and productivity. The objective is to analyze the challenges and opportunities of the broadband market and propose policies to boost its development and achieve medium to long-term economic benefits.

The paper uses qualitative and quantitative tools to study the legal and regulatory environment, market structure, competitive dynamics and available services and infrastructure in the KRI. The data and information analyzed were obtained through field research, primary data collection and consultation with government institutions, telecom operators and IT companies.

Obstacles to broadband development in the KRI are barriers to competition, the need for clearer and more transparent policies and regulations and a fragmented market. However, when the right conditions are in place, KRI has the potential to emerge as a regional hub for international broadband connectivity and significantly expand local broadband access.

This paper presents a first-of-its-kind baseline analysis of the telecom sector in the KRI. Very little information is available on the KRI market, which also has not been previously studied separately from the Iraqi market. Based on the fieldwork, the paper relies on region-specific data to analyze the particularity of the market and identify reforms within the prerogative of the regional government.

THE FIRST structurally practicable submarine telegraph cable was manufactured in about 1850, and for the following 100 years the basic submarine cable design remained unchanged. In the 1950's, the development of new submarine cable of armourless design and using modern materials was begun, and this is now in widespread use in new cables. The lack of information on cable performance led to the initiation of a submarine cable recovery programme by the Bell Telephone Laboratories, with the object of investigating the effect of submarine exposure on existing ocean cable materials. Specimens are obtained from cables in service, taken whenever repairs or replacement require that a cable is raised. Since submarine telegraph cables have been in use for over 100 years, the systematic examination of such specimens gives an invaluable source of information on the performance of materials and the effect of environment.

Some people are probably already familiar with the STAR programme that has been operating in Portugal since 1987, but I think it is appropriate to give a brief summary of the origins of the programme as in doing so it will give some insight into what the programme is all about and what it is intended to achieve. In summary, STAR is a community programme designed to give improved access to advanced telecommunications in less favoured regions of the European Community. However, STAR is first and foremost a tool for regional development and stems from the regional problem.

The purpose of this paper is to characterise opportunity cost associated with the development of spectrum.

Differential Ricardian rent theory is used in the paper to explain the relationship between the development of spectrum along internal and external margins. Opportunity cost is introduced to characterise the link between spectrum and spectrum substitutes.

The study finds that workable strategies for spectrum reform require that economic externalities be internalised. Opportunity cost considerations can serve to improve spectrum management policy by justifying policy constraints and distribute the spectrum to the user with the best relative use.

Ricardian rent theory assumes that the “best” spectrum would be utilised first. In addition, there is no objective value‐based unit of spectrum and this limits the efficacy of Ricardo's theory.

The paper provides a more coherent explanation spectrum development and the spectrum management reform process.

The study provides a model for policy makers to introduce incremental change in the advent of novel wireless technologies