 their end-customers justifies extra charges to such service providers, as Bell South and Verizon propose for the fibre optic local loop. 92 INFRASTRUCTURE TO 2030: TELECOM, LAND TRANSPORT, WATER AND ELECTRICITY - ISBN 92-64-02398-4 © OECD 2006 2. TELECOMS INFRASTRUCTURE TO 2030 If this is not pursued, the OECD economy will fall behind as other national and regional economies progress with better communications at lower cost. In such economies, telecommunications usages pass on savings in overall infrastructure costs (through substitution) as well as economic stimuli in telecommunications-based education, ecommerce, health, elderly care, etc. Competition will also largely take care of the "Digital Divide" - the difference between the privileged and poor in society, which extends down to access to digital services. Certainly supportive action by government may be necessary, but reiterating the liberalisation point above, it should ensure freedom of entry of new services at low cost. For instance in the United States, France and the United Kingdom, local authorities are taking advantage of the low costs of AWT broadband networks to bring free or low-cost Internet access to their municipalities, often against the wishes of the incumbent operator (although some municipalities are being stopped by certain state governments in the United States). The freedom to do this is the key factor. It enables municipal and regional administrations to stimulate the local economy. Governments should resist the policy of exploiting short-term financial gains with the radio spectrum and its licences - funds from high licence fees for radio services only act as a structural impediment on competition and new services, and act as a barrier to entry of radio new technologies. Highly priced licences are bought by those with deep pockets - the incumbents - whose aim is to prolong current revenue streams and cut off new entrants who could jeopardise their position, perhaps breaking up a cosy oligopoly. Incumbents have little interest in inv