Kan Kaili's Viewpoint -- Reflections and Challenges for the Telecommunications Industry

Author: Kan Kaili
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-07
Features: Rather than calling the "Little Genius" an "extension of local calls," it is more accurate to describe it as an "extension of the natural monopoly of local calls." Manufacturers are in a hurry, operators are steady, and consumers are indifferent to 3G—this typical "value chain inversion" cannot go unnoticed. To say that universal telecom service is a "universal excuse for monopoly and violence" is far from sensational. The "invisible hand" of market competition far surpasses the "visible hand" of government price control. Faced with such exorbitant profits, our consumers have been "exploited" by telecom fees far too severely. How can we talk about "loss of state-owned assets"? With the technological revolution in electronics, computers, information, and networks over the past half-century, telecom reforms worldwide have gone through more than two decades, and China's telecom reforms have lasted over a decade. However, the turbulence in the telecom industry has not only failed to subside but has instead intensified. The question we need to consider is: How will telecom reforms continue? Will they involve "patching up" the existing system, or must they undergo a fundamental revolution? How will this reform shape the future industrial structure, national economy, and even social form? On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the founding of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, at the invitation of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications Press, I have compiled some of my articles over the past decade, with the theme "Information Society and the Future of Telecommunications" as the preface, into this book titled "Thoughts and Challenges for the Telecommunications Industry." The purpose is to report to society my understanding of the aforementioned questions and the trajectory of their formation. Without a doubt, many of the issues discussed are highly controversial and still in the process of exploring answers. Therefore, I sincerely welcome readers to join in the effort to seek answers, including "thinking and challenging" the perspectives presented in this book.