QUESTION 1

a) The statement "Standards create markets or markets create standards" has been the subject of considerable debate. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages to having multiple systems rather than a single standard

b) LTE (Long Term Evolution), a new high performance air interface for cellular mobile communication systems is the last step toward the 4th generation (4G) of radio technologies designed to increase the capacity and speed of mobile telephone networks

i. List the advantages of LTE
ii. List the major LTE radio technologies

c) The Government of Mauritius has enhanced the regulatory framework to comply with international best practices by introducing various pieces of legislation such as the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act, the Information and Communication Technologies Act, the Electronic Transactions Act, the Independent Broadcasting Act, the Copyright Act, the Postal Services Act, and the Data Protection Act. All these legislative elements serve to consolidate the sector and to position Mauritius as a safe and secure destination

Explain briefly the core areas covered by

i. Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act
ii. Electronic Transactions Act
iii. Data Protection Act

QUESTION 2

a) Within the context of telecommunications networks, two parts of the service can be distinguished: originating the call and forwarding it to the point of interconnection and the termination service, which involves picking-up of the call from the interconnection point and transferring it to the final destination. With telecommunications, the entire call is in most instances paid for by the originating party of the call (CPP principle). There are also cases where the receiving party pays for the termination services (RPP principle). List the advantages and disadvantages of RPP and CPP

b) Efficient Component Pricing Rule (ECPR) has been the subject of considerable discussion and critics. What are the principles and the disadvantages of ECPR?

c) Long Run Incremental Cost (LRIC) is considered as the "gold standard" for setting interconnection charges. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the three approaches to LRIC modeling

QUESTION 3

a) How can governments provide the mobile industry with the long-term clarity and certainty it needs to make substantial capital investments in new networks?

b) Technical, economic, social and consumer protection are the main areas of regulation. Explain the purpose of the regulatory functions and explain using an example how the purpose of the functions can be achieved?

c) Across Africa, regulators have established Universal Service Funds (USFs) in order to subsidies universal access. However, the impact of these funds is limited for several reasons. Explain how governments and regulators should reform their USFs

QUESTION 4

a) List some of the issues that are worth considering while deciding on a new licensing model for the converging era

b) List some of the major benefits when moving towards a converging licensing regime

c) The Philosophy behind Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) is: Enable entrants to provide broadband services without having to build the piece of the network that is generally considered cost-prohibitive/natural monopoly

i. What are the critiques of LLU?

ii. Identify some alternatives