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The purpose of this paper is to introduce to the concepts related with universal service and the papers in the special issue about “Re‐thinking universal service in the digital era”.

This special issue aims to provide support to the policy process with regard to universal service in a digital context. The papers in the issue highlight developments that are shaking up the current universal service model. They consider universal service from a set of different dimensions, encompassing both demand and supply side considerations. Also a comparative outlook draws lessons from a representative set of existing regulatory models.

The paper finds that the foundations and concept of universal service are experiencing a profound transformation as we enter into a new phase of information society development. A new set of policy goals and tools is the main consequence of this change.

The paper presents a timely account of the universal service policy debate.

This paper aims to give conclusions from the papers in the special issue about “Re‐thinking universal service in the digital era”.

A summary of the themes, trends and new concepts about universal service is compiled from the varied viewpoints introduced in the issue. The editors also appraise the mobile and broadband universal service candidates under the different perspectives in the issue, point out a number of questionable assumptions and gaps in the universal service stories, and touch on the international currents of influence in universal service policy. Finally, a succinct vision of a universal service policy for Europe is outlined.

This special issue aims to provide support to the policy process with regard to universal service in a digital context. The papers in the issue highlight developments that are shaking up the current universal service model. They consider universal service from a set of different dimensions, encompassing both demand and supply side considerations. Also a comparative outlook draws lessons from a representative set of existing regulatory models.

The paper provides a summary of the main avenues for the upcoming universal service policy debate.

Suggests not to rely on the subsidiarity principle in some of these practical matters showing too much subsidiarity, could damage European competition, thereby preventing member states from being able to perform their policy of universal service. Sums up that the universal service issue generates many debates.

This paper aims to look at a key trend shaking up universal service policy around the world – the emergence of mobile and wireless technologies as a central feature of telecommunications and convergent media.

The paper reviews the development of mobiles, and how they fit into the evolution of approaches to universal service. It then considers different facets of what mobiles represent for universal service, including the expansion of universal service, the relationship of access to universal service, spectrum management, and the user and innovation. The paper seeks to integrate these aspects into a consolidated account of what mobiles represent for universal service.

The paper finds that mobiles are providing timely access to basic telecommunications, and so we need to reconfigure the apparatus of universal service to acknowledge and build upon this. It finds also that there is a strong case for building mobility into definitions of universal service. Accordingly the paper advocates an evolution of the universal service concept to include mobility. In particular, there is a need for the role of mobile data, internet, and mobile media services to be evaluated – and thought about as part of the general policy discussions about building broadband platforms, and ensuring user access to and use of these. It suggests that there is now a rationale for explicitly giving an account of mobility in policies inspired by and relating to universal service. It recommends great adoption of new approaches to universal service, through flexible and open spectrum management, and also through policies that foster commons approaches. Finally, the paper suggests that stronger and more purposeful links be drawn between universal service and policies aimed at fostering innovation and at enabling and harnessing users (such as citizenship, cultural policies, and digital literacy).

The value of this paper lies in its dedicated focus on mobiles, and their implications are for rethinking universal service. To do so, the paper particularly draws upon user perspectives.

The purpose of this paper is to explore how the scope of universal service has been extended from voice telephony to include broadband and mobile communications in Korea. This paper addresses how Korea's approach to broadband and mobile service utilizes different strategies.

The paper is an analysis of universal service policies. It applies five criteria for reviewing whether broadband and mobile communications could be included in the scope of universal service.

This paper addresses Korea's approach to broadband and mobile service utilizes different strategies. An information society policy was applied to broadband diffusion, while a regulatory policy was applied to mobile service diffusion. Korea's universal service expansion policy shows a government and industry integration model.

This paper shows Korea's unique approach for universal service. It deals with how universal service has been driven forward as a part of an information society plan and information divide bridging policy in Korea. With flexible approaches, broadband and mobile services could start to be regarded as universal services.

This paper aims to look at the universal service policy in Vietnam interval 2005-2010 from a stakeholder perspective to clarify the role of stakeholders as well as initiatives used to implement the policy.

This paper applies the stakeholder framework of Papazafeiropoulou and Pouloudi (2000) to identify which actors implemented the universal service policy and what initiatives were used by the central government. In addition, this paper also uses the qualitative method to clarify the stakeholders’ position on performing the universal service policy. The qualitative interview is recruited to verify and triangulate the result of the secondary data.

This paper finds that the Vietnamese government controlled the universal service policy via an administrative regime that the central government ordered and other stakeholders followed; the universal service policy focused much on delivering universal service and infrastructure; however, there was lack of initiatives rising awareness of rural users about the benefit of the internet, or training courses on improving rural users’ skills to use the internet; and stakeholders implementing the universal service policy were state entities in which the national government played a central role, and there was no involvement of the private sector and the civil society.

Little research on universal service policies in Vietnam has been made. By analyzing the Vietnamese case, achievements and drawbacks in implementing universal service policies are identified and lessons for other developing countries are derived.

The paper aims to show how the introduction of the concept of universal service in the French telecommunications sector was impacted by the existence of a strong national tradition of public services. It also aims to show that universal service, as it is defined by the European telecom regulatory framework, was not the only possible set‐up. It also seeks to show how the concept of universal service was adapted to the French national situation and spread beyond the telecommunications sector.

The approach of the paper is chronological, starting with an analysis of the French tradition of public services and then showing how the discussion developed in France on the topic of universal service in the telecommunications sector. Then the paper deals with the practical implementation of universal service in the telecommunications sector and other sectors in France.

The paper shows that even though the French traditional views on public services did not make it easy to implement the European version of universal service in the telecommunications sector, it nevertheless happened. Universal service even spread beyond the telecommunications sector in France.

The paper concentrates on French views on the topic and does not study the opinions of other stakeholders (the European Commission, other member states) as regards the French national tradition of public services.

The paper can be used as a guide to ongoing discussions on the evolution of universal service in Europe as it provides alternate views on the topic.

The paper provides a comprehesive review of the topic.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the degree to which auctioning the right to provide universal service is a viable option in developed countries with high teledensity and near ubiquitous fixed line and mobile networks. The paper also aims to provide signposts on the types of issues regulators need to consider and resolve when designing auctioning mechanisms for the competitive provision of universal service.

The paper examines the nature and scope of universal service, the approaches that have been used to identify the costs of universal service provision and the difficulties in using an auction process to allocate the right to provide universal service in countries with near ubiquitous network infrastructure. Australia is used as a case study on the difficulties of using auctions to encourage new entry in universal service areas served by a powerful incumbent. The paper also examines the types of issues regulators need to resolve when designing auction mechanisms for universal service provision.

The paper concludes that for developed countries, it is unclear whether the use of auctions for the provision of universal service will have the desired effect of ensuring a market‐based approach to service provision. This is because the risks associated with becoming an alternative universal service provider are likely to outweigh the benefits of doing so. Further, the risks faced by an alternative universal service provider are not borne by the incumbent operator thus further increasing the disincentive to bid for the right to provide universal service. The paper also concludes that the practical design of the universal service rights and obligations which will be attached to a winning bidder's license conditions is an extremely important mechanism by which some of the risks to potential universal service providers can be overcome.

The paper stimulates thinking about whether universal service auctions are a viable means of providing universal service in developed countries. In presenting empirical evidence of the difficulties in using auctions to introduce competition in universal service provision, the paper may provide valuable input to the regulatory proceedings associated with introducing universal service contestability arrangements that are currently being conducted in various countries.

The purpose of this paper is to describe how the objectives of telecommunications universal service have been achieved in Finland, largely without any formal universal service regulation.

The approach is a historical one, showing the evolution over time of service take‐up and use, as well as legislative changes. A range of people were interviewed with first‐hand knowledge of the development of Finland's telecommunications sector, and drew on a range of published data sources.

Fixed telephony is now used by a minority of households in Finland, having been superseded by mobile and broadband. The paper finds that the European framework, which Finland was required to adopt added no value to previous practices. The potential for any losses due to universal service to be financed by the state in fact has created an adverse investment incentive.

Since universal service has been a “non‐issue” in Finland, this is thought to be the first attempt to describe how universal service has in fact been achieved there. Besides displaying aspects of the Finnish experience that other countries could learn from, the paper raises a number of useful questions for policy makers.

The paper aims to report on a study for the European Commission that aimed to take a forward‐looking and broadly socio‐economic approach to the scope of future universal service in the light of technological and market developments.

The paper is based on a variety of primary and secondary research methods including desk research, literature review, expert interviews and workshop, scenario planning, needs and SWOT analysis.

The paper finds that the fundamental concept of universal service as a safety net for the disadvantaged remains valid as we look to the future. While the scope of universal service might evolve as the Information Society develops, the case for expansion of universal service across a diverse EU‐27, for instance to include broadband or mobile, is weak. The best way of achieving universal or near‐universal service is by ensuring a competitive European telecommunications market. Any remaining gaps in provision should be addressed by very targeted support for the disadvantaged and vulnerable.

The paper summarises a significant study intended to take a fresh look at universal service in the European Union.