Introduction   1

1.    The Next Revolution in Global Information and Communication Markets   7

A.  What Is at Stake? The Implications of the Inflection Point
B.  Why Global Politics and Policy Matter
— The Global Dimensions of ICT Network Governance
— Power Politics and Global Coordination about Networking
C.  Market Governance and the Policy Implications of the Inflection Point

2.    The First Two ICT Eras   19

A.  Technology and Market Evolution: 1950s-1983
B.  Technology and Market Evolution: 1984-2000
C.  The Political Economy of Marketplace Change in the United States
— The Political Economy of the First Era (1950-1983)
— The Political Economy of the Second Era (1984-2000)
D.  Parallel Changes around the World
E.  Summary

3.    Modularity and the Inflection Point   43

A.  Google and the “Information Utility” Metaphor
B.  Modularity and the Inflection Point
C.  Modularity and the Cheap Revolution
— The Microelectronics Revolution
— The Network Revolution
— The Software Revolution
— Media Content

4.    Modularity and Innovation   65

A.  Murky Clouds and the Systems Integration Metaphor
B.  An Alternative Metaphor: The Fashion Industry
— Apple and the Terminals Market
— Convergence and Content
— The Emerging Personal Network Platform
— High-End R&D: Leaving the Lab
C.  Stumbling Blocks along the Road to a Digital Paradise
D.  Conclusions

5.    The Political Economy of the Inflection Point   95

A.  The Global Market Context: The United States as Agenda Setter
B.  Arguments that US Leadership Is Declining
C.  Policy Issues and the Inflection Point
— The Political Economy of Entry and Spectrum Policy
— Network Neutrality
— Net Neutrality in Japan and in the European Union
— Content and Media

6.    Theory before Policy   129

A.  Explaining Changes in Market Governance
— Power
— Technology
— Ideas
— Domestic Politics
B.  The Independent Variable: Forces Changing Global Market Governance
— The Role of Powerful Countries: Diffusion and Agenda Setting
C.  The Path of Change: The Intervening Variables
— Market Governance
— Delegation and Governance
D.  Understanding the Implications of Changes in Global Governance
E.  Summing Up

7.    Trade and the Global Network Revolution   149

A.  The Initial Move to Value-Added Competition
B.  Achieving Managed-Entry Governance
— Cross-Border Services
— Domestic Politics and International Markets: The US and the EU
C.  The WTO Agreement
— Negotiations before 1997
–The 1997 Solution
D.  Assessing the New Rules
E.  Gaps, Possibilities, and New Realities

8.    Wireless Infrastructure   175

A.  Property Rights, Balancing Stakeholder Interests, and the Politics of Market
— Transitions
— The Political Economy of Stakeholders
— Defining Property Rights for 3G
B.  The Political Economy of Three Generations of Wireless Service
— Standard Setting and Intellectual Property
— Regional Features of 2G
— The Challenge of 3G
— Allocation of Spectrum
— Assignment of Licenses
C.  Implications for the Next Transition

9.    Internet Governance   207

A.  The Internet and ICT Governance
B.  The US Political Economy
C.  Standard Setting and Institutional Innovation
D.  Virtual Resources: Scarcity, Hierarchy, and ICANN
E.  Governance and Interconnecting Internet Transport
F.  Summing Up

Summary and Conclusions   233

A.  Principles for Governance at the Inflection Point
— Four Guiding Principles
— Three Paths Not Taken
B.  Ten Norms Needed to Implement the Principles
— Norm 1: Institutional Design
— Norms 2 and 3: Enabling the Modular Supply Chain
— Norms 4 and 5: Norms to Strengthen the Network Infrastructure
— Norms 6-10: Norms for Consumer Services
C.  The Way Forward