Telecommunications law under the light of convergence

Telecommunication is one of the most important parts of a country’s economy. It connects the world and is a gigantic growing industry. When dealing with telecommunications law, especially in terms of regulation of competition, generally two main ideas confront. On the one hand free market proponents are to be found. They claim that the absence of regulation would initiate the outcome of manifold telecommunications products at efficiently low prices. On the other hand there is asked for even more intervention and regulation with the argument to protect consumers against consolidation and monopoly. As telecommunications law is uniquely volatile in terms of political, economical and technological matters, the aforementioned question is constantly being raised. Over and above the question of the regulation in competition terms, two other major crunch issues are influencing the regulation and legislation of the telecommunications law: liberalisation of the markets and the convergence of the media. This bock will analyse and compare the current situation of the telecommunications law and market on the two examples of the German and the South African legislation.