Recent Developments in the Global Telecommunication Network

This paper reviews current knowledge about the structure of the international telecommunications network and how it has changed over time as a result of globalization, historical events, and changes in technology. It has a center-periphery structure with North America and Western Europe at the center, and less economically developed countries at the periphery. The peripheral nations are clustered into regional groups -- Latin America, Asia, Islam, and the former Soviet Republics. Over time, the integration of the global community, the breakup of the Eastern Bloc, the reintegration of Hong Kong into China and the dotcom bubble have resulted in changes in the pattern of global telephone flows. Since 2000, there has been a decline in the rate of change in the network. This decrease is most likely due changes in telecommunications technology, the adoption of the Internet and VoIP.