Thus, pricing access to the local loop poses a dilemma for operators seeking to profit from the growth of the Internet as well as for regulators wishing to ensure the sustainability of investment in local access networks. It was recognised that the rapid rate of technological change can easily overtake regulatory classifications. There was widespread support for the concept of technology-neutral regulatory treatment . A consistent approach to regulation may require that similar services be treated in the same way, independent of the underlying network or technology. However, in some environments, regulatory asymmetry will be an inevitable feature of transitional periods.
Available studies show divergent results.
In some cases, it appears that IP-based networks can be more expensive as a solution for providing telephony. On the other hand, there are potential economies of scale to be gained from offering a unified voice and data network based on IP, bearing in mind the rapid growth of data traffic. In considering IP Telephony, it is important to set it in the context of the wider impact of the Internet on the economy . The Internet diffusion case studies being undertaken by the ITU have shown that the overall impact of the Internet on the economy has been positive. New IP infrastructures can support a variety of innovative services and applications, notably e-commerce.