Nov. 28, 2003
With technological advances in information processing, the importance of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is ever increasing. However, as studies to date have shown, there are a number of uncertainties concerning data protection and, most of all, the dissemination of and pricing policies for government-produced spatial and geographic data (also called geospatial data, or geodata). The present investigation (conducted as a preliminary study) seeks to trace the lines of argumentation for or against differing pricing strategies and to justify the arguments using practical examples. The spectrum of possible strategies ranges from no-cost dissemination (public domain) to full cost recovery. The present study shows that for pricing policies in the future, a mix of two strategies that lie between these poles promises the greatest degree of success: A Low Cost Strategy for data that lies in the interest of the greater public and and a PRI Strategie (Partial Return on Investment) for value-added products that are not, or not exclusively, used in the national interest. The securing of financial resources is prerequisite to retaining the level of quality of the data when pricing policies move towards public domain. Here it is important to note, however, that the direct revenue lost in the short run already today recovers a mere fraction of the total costs. Moreover, in the medium to long term, the resulting increased benefits will clearly overcompensate the loss of direct revenue.
Project team
Anna Vettori
Associate Partner, Member of the INFRAS Board of Directors
