Technology neutrality: Exploring the interaction between International Mobile Telecommunication and national spectrum management policies

Abstract

This paper reviews ITU-R actions with respect to IMT standardisation, and explores how these actions affect national spectrum management decisions such as those related to technology neutrality. Our analysis, which is based on 52 interviews, demonstrates that the IMT standardisation activities do not explicitly influence the decision of the regulator on the adoption of technology neutrality. They do, however, contain a range of positive (encouraging)and negative (discouraging)perspectives that shape the regulator's views on technology neutrality are two contrasting views on whether there is mutual influence between the IMT definitions within the ITU-R, and 3G and 4G market definitions. Nationally IMT standardisation has largely no influence on the discrimination between mobile technology generations (e.g., 3G, 4G etc.). The IMT spectrum identification has positive influences on selecting technologies from the IMT family.