Political and Economic Reform : Significance of the Problem

The objective of this study is three-fold: (1) to demonstrate the widening disparity in telecommunications services access between the eastern coastal and the western inland regions of China; (2) to examine the historical, geographic, and policy reasons for the disparity; and (3) to offer solutions, policy recommendations, and a conceptual framework for universal service provision in western China and in regions with similar features. To accomplish the objective, this dissertation conducted a case study of telecommunications development in China. The findings suggest that despite the rapid development of overall telecommunications capability in China, a widening gap in telecommunications services access exists between the western and the eastern regions of the country. The study also suggests that the gap is a reflection of not only geographical and historical reasons, but more importantly, strategic considerations and national polices. In recent years, a more fundamental problem confronting universal service provision in China has been the incompatibility between the need to provide services to disadvantaged regions.