Do marginal communities make good markets for telecommunications services?

Historically, companies have regarded marginal areas as unprofitable for telecommunications services. As a result, these areas have been excluded from most services. However, decisions regarding service provision are based on rather vague information and prejudices. Regulators have only limited resources and expertise to generate information about how new services are likely to be used by consumers. As new, cheaper methods of providing such services continue to be developed, service providers should be encouraged to extend access to areas that otherwise would not be considered.