Press Release: Communications industry rebounding but Internet throws up new challenges, says OECD

For the first time ever, the number of fixed phone lines actually fell in OECD countries, as mobile operators keep on gaining market share. But, although the communications industry has now returned to profitability, the growing popularity of Internet telephony starts to threaten both fixed-line and mobile operators' revenues . The OECD Communications Outlook 2005 presents the most recent comparable data on the performance of the communication sector and policy frameworks in OECD countries. The data provided in this report map the six years of competition for many OECD countries that fully opened their market to competition in 1998. The 2005 edition also analyses the communications sector over the years following the 'dotcom bubble' crisis and explores future developments.

OECD Communications Outlook 2005 http://www.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/display.asp?CID=&LANG=EN&SF1=DI&ST1=5LH09QSVNXD0

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