Telekomunikacijos ir jų teisinio reguliavimo ribos

Straipsnyje nagrinėjami telekomunikacijų teisinio reguliavimo klausimai; svarbiausiomis vartojamomis sąvokomis laikytinos „reguliavimas“, „dereguliavimas“, vartojamos teisiniam reguliavimui ir dereguliavimui apibūdinti. Telekomunikacijų plėtra neabejotinai susijusi su kai kuriomis intelektinės nuosavybės formomis ir daro tiesioginį poveikį (pvz.: programinės įrangos ir kt.) jų atsiradimui ir plitimui, todėl tinkamas telekomunikacijų reguliavimas gali turėti įtakos intelektinės nuosavybės ir jos apsaugos raidai. Straipsnyje telekomunikacijų reguliavimas analizuojamas istoriniu ir lyginamuoju aspektais, analizuojama telekomunikacijų reguliavimo raida skirtingose valstybėse ir regionuose.

Discussion about the possibility of complete deregulation of telecommunications does not imply that this field must be free of any regulation. Deregulation of telecommunications must be understood as follows: is there a possibility to regulate telecommunications by applying general public relations regulating instruments that already are in place in the market. Upon completion of a very abstract assessment of regulator’s activities, the following key directions of the activities of existing regulators can be distinguished: competition promotion and protection of consumers’ rights. In nearly all developed countries, these fields are regulated by special legislation, while their supervision is carried out by appropriate interbranch institutions. Having determined a precise need for telecommunications regulation in an appropriate market, a necessary regulation may be properly selected and a need for a regulator may be determined at a certain period. Proper selection of a necessary market regulation is indispensable in order the state could perform its functions in the field of telecommunications in a consistent way, to prevent waste of state resources for inefficient regulation of telecommunications, promote competition, develop services, ensure protection of consumers’ rights in the market, etc.