Siope VAkataki 'Of a博士の書いた電話通信規制緩和の本が面白い。
‘Ofa, S.V. 2010. Telecommunications Regulatory Reform in Small Island Developing States: the Impact of WTO’s Telecommunications Commitments.
太平洋島嶼国で一番に電話通信の規制緩和を進めたのは、"My" Your Royal Higness 即ちツポウ５世であった！
2003年の事。ツポウ５世は長年居座った大英帝国通信会社のCable & Wilressを追い出して規制改革を進め競争を導入し自らTONFONという携帯電話会社を立ち上げ、トンガの南北約８００キロに渡る１７７の島々のデジタルディバイドを解消し、ユニバーサルサービスを実現したのである。
しかも面白い事に、規制緩和、自由化を反対したのが地元NGOとニュージーランドのOxfamというNGO。Oxfamが書いた規制緩和反対のペーパーを見つけた。同NGOはこの資料を配布し、トンガの規制緩和を押さえ込もとしたようである。（でもトンガ国民は王様には逆らえないのだ）
"Blood from a stone"
http://www.oxfam.org.nz/sites/default/files/reports/05%20Dec%2015%20Tonga_Blood_from_a_stone.pdf
（ちょっと長いが下記にテレコムの個所を引用する）
Telecommunications: As recently as November 2005, Tonga’s draft services schedule included only very limited commitments in the telecommunications sector. The final schedule however contains extensive liberalisation of most aspects of telecomms, including voice and internet services. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that last-minute demands from Working Party members led to the sudden change.
The fact that Tonga has liberalised its telecommunications sector in this way is likely to have adverse implications for those living in the more remote islands of the group, as well as for rural people on the main islands. This is because such customers are not profitable for telecoms companies and the companies will be reluctant to service them. Rich countries have a number of options for ensuring that all the population is covered by a telecommunications network. However, for poorer countries, particularly ones with a widely dispersed population, the only practicable way to ensure such universal coverage is to regulate to require service companies to provide it. However, a recent WTO disputes panel case makes it clear that any such regulation will be in violation of GATS requirements.12 The only way to avoid this result is to ensure GATS commitments are delayed until a full regulatory structure is in place, and to specify that the GATS commitments are subject to those regulations
Tonga’s commitments in telecommunications contrasts starkly with the process set up by New Zealand to protect its national interest in such a key service. Before the New Zealand government sold off a portion of Telecom New Zealand (the main telecommunications supplier), it agreed a comprehensive contract of sale, which imposed what it describes as ‘social obligations’ on the newly privatised monopoly.13 These obligations ensure that rural service delivery is maintained (with installation charges capped, regardless of actual cost), local calls remain free for residential customers, and basic phone charges remain reasonable by being linked to inflation. The New Zealand government has also limited the shareholding in Telecom of any single overseas entity to less than 50 per cent and requires that half of the Board members are New Zealand citizens.
ニュージーランドの例を押し付けるなよ、という感想です。
さて、USPNetを日本のODA案件にした知見と経験から電話通信開発は技術の問題より、資金の問題より、政策、政治であるという認識を得て太平洋島嶼国の「デジタル・オポチュニティ研究会」を私は立ち上げた。
2008年から基金は海洋安全保障に大きく舵取りをしてしまったのでICTの動向は把握しきれていなかったが、上記の'Ofa博士の論文で少し見えてきた。
太平洋島嶼国のデジタル・オポチュニティ研究会
２００２年 5,639,035円
２００３年 6,240,743円
太平洋島嶼国のデジタル・オポチュニティ研究会／フェーズⅡ
２００４年 5,050,771円
２００５年 11,891,575円
トンガを皮切りに、サモア、フィジー、パプアニューギニア、バヌアツと通信の規制緩和と競争が太平洋島嶼国に押し寄せたのである。
そして今、パラオとミクロネシア連邦に、その波がまさに届いたところなのだ、がまだまだ難関がありそうだ。
"7 senators call on Senate President to take action on fiber optic cable bill Say Palau needs fiber optic cable now"
WRITTEN BY JOSE RODRIGUEZ T. SENASE Island Times FRIDAY, 21 AUGUST 2015
"Palau President Makes All Out Push To Approve Fiber Optic Cable"
KOROR, Palau (Island Times, Aug. 13, 2015)
