A Longitudinal Analysis of the International Telecommunication Network, 1978-1996

Abstract

The current structure of the international telecommunications network and how it has changed since the late 1970s are examined. Consistent with world-systems theory, the net-work may be described as one large interconnected group of nations arrayed along a center-to-periphery dimension. At the core are the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. At the periphery are the poorer nations and the former Soviet republics. The network may be subdivided into eight regional blocks, what Huntington labels civilizations. Over time, the network has become denser and more highly integrated and centralized. Recently, however, there has been a significant reversal in centralization. Furthermore, the rate of change among 39 wealthier nations appears to be accelerating.