Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1985.

published_or_final_version / Statistics / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

published_or_final_version / abstract / China Area Studies / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / Electrical and Electronic Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Electrical Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Even though international cooperation traditionally is a concept encountered in public international law, it has an important role to play in the private satellite communications sector. Satellite communications being activities that intrinsically have a global outreach, mutatis mutandis they require legal rules that would not focus on purely regional or local interests. National and international space law have for the past decade encountered criticism with respect to obvious insufficiencies that in turn affected space activities. The first reaction of learned space lawyers was to call for some redrafting of international space law. A second thought about it had them take into account national legislation in this possible harmonization process, but in any case this was to primarily be of concern for States. / However, the new millennium has brought its share of intellectual renewal and in the field of space law it has been translated in the acknowledgement that the private sector would have an important role to play, on the international scene, for the improvement of space law. It is this new legal thinking that has been characterized as "international cooperation" as applied to the private sector, that is the subject of this study. Hence, what is looked at is the position of the satellite communications sector on the international scene and what expertise it has to share with public fora for the overall improvement of space law and space activities.

Against a background of declining macro-economic conditions in Zimbabwe, significant challenges confront management in changing the financial performance of debt-ridden parastatals or public corporations. Chronic budget deficits, poor economic policies and mismanagement have ensured that these under capitalised companies post successive losses thus increasing the burden on the tax payer who must pay for their survival. The research study seeks to establish the strategies which management can implement to raise revenue and improve cash flows in preparation for privatisation. If the companies are to be competitive in a deregulated sector, the chosen strategies must offer quick and sustainable solutions. The shareholder's intention is to place these companies in a profitable position in order to gain maximum value from prospective investors. The recommended strategies are intended to improve financial performance of a telecommunications company confronted by a myriad of problems, which include: - • Critical shortages of foreign currency required to implement network development and maintenance programmes as well as payment of traffic handling obligations. • Competition from new entrants, • Government intention to privatise a company weighed down by a huge local and foreign debt. • An economy experiencing negative growth, high unemployment and chronic inflation. MBA-Strategic Financial Management • A population on the verge of starvation resulting from food shortages created by badly implemented land policy and drought conditions afflicting Zimbabwe and Southern Africa in general. The study focuses on key processes that create improvements in revenue and cash flow generation in the short to medium term. The processes are considered against a background of declining macro economic conditions and telecommunications sector deregulation. Experiences on deregulation of telecommunications sector in other countries are considered, and in Zimbabwe, the work done by BT consultants during restructuring and commercialization of the Post and Telecommunications Corporation is assessed. The study shall consider and recommend changes necessary to improve revenues and cash flows. In particular, the study shall: - • Critically review service provision for new customers, line transfers, reallocation of recovered lines, the delayed billing of connected customers and meter reading timetable for statement generation. • Consider and develop improvements in international traffic and accounting rates management in order to increase revenues, which contribute half of the company's profits. MBA-Strategic Financial Management • Assess and develop debt management strategies in order to improve cash flow and profitability. • Assess the company's cash handling procedures and recommend process improvements in order to realise the computed servings in overdraft interest or earnings arising from timely investments. • Develop a system of continuous improvement through tracking, feedback and training. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, 2003.

If the privatization of space telecommunications, because of its impacts, has been subject to various studies, this thesis focuses the analysis of this phenomenon on a particular point: its implications on international organizations. / Because of the evolution of the sector, international satellite organizations have undertaken for around ten years several internal reforms that lead today to the privatization of the three major organizations: Intelsat, Inmarsat and Eutelsat. These transformations constitute a particular sensitive issue as these organizations have been initially established so that to exploit satellite systems for the general interest of their members. / The impact of this phenomenon is no less considerable on the ITU, in charge of the international regulation, from a regulatory but also structural point of view. Moreover, the liberalization of telecommunication market undertaken under the aegis of the WTO grants to this organization a new major place in space telecommunication regulation.

This dissertation analyzes global telecommunications liberalization in the context of the transition to an economy and society based on the production, use and exchange of information. It examines the role of the ITU and the WTO in that process and addresses the question of the extent to which globalization and telecommunications liberalization can contribute to development in an increasingly unequal world. It also studies in detail the shift in the institutional regime of telecommunications in Venezuela, whose Telecommunications Bill is analyzed in light of the regulatory principles outlined in the Reference Paper and Venezuela's commitments under the Fourth Protocol to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). We provide recommendations aimed at adapting the regulatory framework that is currently being discussed to new global market realities without ignoring Venezuela's development concerns and regulatory capabilities.