Beginning at home, telecommunications regulators can play a pivotal role in ensuring that their country maximizes its resources to build a strong and inclusive telecommunications and information infrastructure. Principled decision-making not only will benefit consumers and industry in the domestic market, but also will enrich the global information community. Establishing an independent regulatory authority is a crucial factor in the success of any country's effort to introduce competition and to privatize and liberalize the telecommunications sector. Once the decision has been made to establish a pro- competitive, liberalized and privatized regime, it is essential to establish an impartial referee to create the rules and processes by which the industry is to be regulated and service to the public will be provided. Regulatory agencies have taken many forms.
Some countries have regulatory departments within a government ministry.
Other countries have regulatory bodies that are separate, yet accountable to a ministry. Still others have regulatory agencies that are separate from, and not accountable to, any government ministries. A few countries have no regulatory bodies and regulate telecommunications providers through the country's antitrust or consumer-protection laws. An effective regulator should be independent from those it regulates, protected from political pressure, and given the full ability to regulate the market by making policy and enforcement decisions. The regulator should have the authority and jurisdiction to carry out its regulatory and enforcement functions effectively and unambiguously.