Leapfrogging in switching systems

The rapid emergence of new technologies has increased the rate of obsolescence. This creates the possibility that developing countries and, in particular, newly industrializing countries may leapfrong older generations of technologies. The authors lay out the issues and variables to be considered for an understanding of leapfrogging in telephone switching systems. In particular, they distinguish between demand-driven and intrastructure-driven leapfrogging. Data for the early 1980s offer some evidence that demand-driven leapfrogging was most prevalent in countries with intermediate network maturity. Infrastructure-driven leapfrogging has taken place mainly in France, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore.