Thus, telecommunications as part of the infrastructure has a considerable effect on the overall quality of a country for business and determines how attractive it is to foreign investors. Demand is also great in the residential sector. People are no longer willing to wait ten or more years for a telephone. Entire communities are still without telephone service at night or on weekends, because the exchanges are manual and are only operated during working hours. Thus, telephone service is also a matter of public welfare.
People even die because there is no telephone with which to call the emergency services.
Nevertheless, the emerging industrial nations of Southeast Asia, for example, have shown that this can be done. International organizations are prepared to help. The fact that the highly developed countries are continuing to invest in networks and new technologies underscores the necessity of CEE countries to also do so. The expansion of the telecommunications infrastructure is an essential condition for economic development and cannot, therefore, be delayed until times are better. Institutional openness is in demand.