International Mail: Information on Designated Postal Operators and Universal Service in Selected Countries, GAO-16-813R: Published: Sep 26, 2016. Publicly Released: Sep 26, 2016.

• “Based on the information GAO obtained about postal service in 10 selected countries, 9 of the 10 countries formally selected their current designated postal operator either directly or indirectly via statute. All 10 countries have one postal operator registered with the Universal Postal Union (UPU).

All 10 countries include similar elements in their definitions of the universal service obligation, but have wide variation in how they implement elements of their universal service obligation. When defining their universal service, all 10 countries mentioned one or more of the following: the types of products to be delivered, pricing, or how often mail was to be delivered and collected. While all countries defined and implemented service as nationwide, the information we obtained also showed that each country implemented other specific elements of universal postal service differently: product range, consumer access, delivery and collection, pricing, and service quality. In addition to how countries define and implement universal postal service, GAO found information that indicated the selected countries also varied in how they fund universal service, either by requiring the designated postal operator to fund universal service out of its own revenues or by paying the designated postal operator out of public funds to cover those costs.”