Are the Regulations in Force in Line with the Development of ICT?

Abstract

The share of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in economies has rapidly increased globally in the last decade. This rapid expansion has resulted in emergence of new indicators on the subject. Currently, there are numerous indicators from various aspects; however, some of those are incapable to represent the recent developments in the sector. Considering the most recent indicators on the subject, this study first aims at categorizing economies into groups depending on their ICT development level. Covering a cross-section of 139 economies in 2016, it uses cluster analysis as a methodology. The indicators used are; individuals using the internet, households with a computer, households with internet access at home, active mobile broadband subscriptions, and international internet bandwidth. Since the role of regulations and the legal environment is a crucial factor for ICT development, the study then focuses on ICT regulations in force in these economies by their level of existence. After that; it compares statistical findings, and the level of regulations in these economies. The purpose of such a comparison is to track and examine the consistency between ICT development levels and regulations in force, so that necessary policies can be proposed for further research.