The framework of communication networks, administration, and power supply; ‘the fact that a direct link between investment in transport infrastructure and national or regional economic development has not been shown to exist has not stopped politicians, lobbyists and promoters from asserting that great benefits will accrue from such investments’ (Scrafton (2002) J. Transp. Geog. 10, 1). ‘In developed countries, where there is already a well-connected transport infrastructure network of a high quality, further investment in that infrastructure will not on its own result in economic growth’ (Banister and Berechman (2001) J. Transp. Geog. 9, 3). Nonetheless there is some empirical analysis that supports the idea that infrastructure growing ahead of productive activities would stimulate growth (Reardon et al. (2001) World Dev. 29, 3). Kirkpatrick (2004) Publish. Res. Quart. 20, 3 thinks that African governments’ telecommunications monopolies are ‘obstructive’.