GSMA-发展中国家的频谱定价（英文）-2018.7-48页-10mb

Summary of "Spectrum Pricing in Developing Countries"

Core Content

This report by GSMA Intelligence examines the impact of spectrum pricing on mobile services in developing countries, focusing on how high spectrum prices affect affordability, quality, and investment in the mobile sector. It highlights the importance of spectrum policy in enabling the growth of mobile broadband and its role in social and economic development.

Main Points

• Spectrum as a Critical Resource: Radio spectrum is essential for delivering mobile services and closing the digital divide. Efficient spectrum allocation is vital for achieving digital inclusion and maximizing socioeconomic benefits.
• High Spectrum Prices in Developing Countries: Between 2010 and 2017, final spectrum prices in developing countries were more than three times those in developed countries when adjusted for income levels.
• Government Policy Influence: High spectrum prices are often a result of government decisions, such as setting high reserve prices, constricting spectrum supply, and poor auction design, rather than purely market-driven factors.
• Impact on Consumers and Operators: High spectrum prices lead to more expensive and lower quality mobile broadband services, and can discourage investment in the sector, thereby limiting access to advanced technologies like 4G.
• Digital Divide and Access: Despite progress in mobile internet adoption, a large portion of the population in developing countries remains unconnected, especially in rural and remote areas, due to high costs and limited infrastructure.
• Spectrum Policy Objectives: Governments should aim for efficient spectrum assignment, consumer welfare, and public revenue, but prioritizing revenue maximization can harm market development and consumer access.

Key Considerations for Spectrum Policy

• Efficient Assignment: Assign spectrum to those who value it most and will use it most efficiently.
• Maximizing Consumer Welfare: Support a competitive market that delivers sufficient capacity and keeps prices low.
• State Revenue: While raising public revenue is important, it should not come at the expense of market efficiency and consumer access.
• Reserve Prices: High reserve prices are often set to maximize short-term revenue, but this can limit market price discovery and reduce investment.
• Spectrum Scarcity: Regulators in developing countries often limit the availability of spectrum, contributing to higher prices and reduced investment.

Evidence of Impact

• Data Analysis: The report analyzed over 1,000 spectrum assignments across 102 countries, including 60 developing and 42 developed countries, between 2010 and 2017.
• 4G Spectrum Prices: In developing countries, 4G spectrum prices more than doubled between 2010 and 2017, with some extreme outliers linked to high reserve prices or administrative assignments.
• Income Adjustments: When adjusted for GDP per capita, developing countries' spectrum prices are significantly higher, indicating a greater financial burden on operators and consumers.
• Case Studies: Examples like Jamaica and Costa Rica show how government policies can either hinder or support mobile market development, with Jamaica experiencing lower 4G adoption due to high prices and delays, while Costa Rica has seen better outcomes due to more affordable spectrum.

Consequences of High Spectrum Prices

• Reduced Investment: High spectrum costs can discourage both domestic and foreign investment in mobile infrastructure.
• Higher Consumer Prices: Operators may pass on the costs of spectrum to consumers, resulting in more expensive services.
• Lower Quality Services: High prices can lead to reduced network investment, resulting in lower quality mobile broadband services.
• Digital Exclusion: Limited access to affordable spectrum hinders the development of mobile internet and excludes large segments of the population from digital opportunities.

Conclusion

Spectrum pricing policies in developing countries significantly influence the affordability and quality of mobile services. While governments may seek to maximize short-term revenue, this often comes at the cost of long-term market development and consumer welfare. Effective spectrum policy should balance public revenue with the need to foster investment and ensure widespread access to mobile broadband, particularly in underserved areas.

Appendix: Methodology

• The analysis includes data on final spectrum prices, adjusted for inflation, purchasing power parity (PPP), and licence duration.
• Data was aggregated by country, band, generation, and assignment.
• Outliers were removed from the analysis, and results are based on 3-period moving averages.
• The report focuses on upfront spectrum fees, as they are the most commonly applied and have the most publicly available data.