  The traditional model of single ownership of all the physical network
elements and network layers by mobile network operators is beginning to be
challenged. This has been attributed to the rapid and complex technology
migration compounded with rigorous regulatory requirements and ever increasing
capital expenditures. These trends, combined together with the increasing
competition, rapid commoditization of telecommunication equipments and rising
separation of network and service provisioning are pushing the operators to
adopt multiple strategies, with network infrastructure sharing in the core and
radio access networks emerging as a more radical mechanism to substantially and
sustainably improve network costs. Through infrastructure sharing, developing
countries and other emerging economies can harness the technological, market
and regulatory developments that have fostered affordable access to mobile and
broadband services. Similarly, the network operators entering or consolidating
in the emerging markets can aim for substantial savings on capital and
operating expenses. The present paper aims to investigate the current
technological solutions and regulatory and the technical-economical dimensions
in connection with the sharing of mobile telecommunication networks in emerging
countries. We analyze the estimated savings on capital and operating expenses,
while assessing the technical constraints, applicability and benefits of the
network sharing solutions in an emerging market context.
