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Phasing out Sector‐Specific Regulation in Competitive Telecommunications

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  • Günter Knieps

Abstract

SUMMARY After overall entry deregulation, regulation of market power can only be justified in local telecommunication networks as long as they constitute monopolistic bottlenecks. Technical progress leads to a gradual disappearance of monopolistic bottlenecks, pointing out the large potential for economically efficient phasing out of sector‐specific regulation. In contrast, all forms of asymmetric regulation containing an intrinsic bias towards some firms or technologies have a strong tendency towards overregulation. The new telecommunications laws in Germany and Switzerland are shown to be prominent examples of asymmetric regulatory frameworks. Since the new telecommunications law in Switzerland is less restrictive and more transparant than its German counterpart, it seems to be more suitable to tackle the potential for phasing out sector specific regulation in telecommunications. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Nach einer umfassenden Marktoffnung ist eine Marktmachtregulierung in der Zukunft lediglich noch in Ortsnetzen gerechtfertigt, solange diese monopolistische Engpassbereiche darstellen. Der technische Fortschritt in Ortsnetzen führt allerdings allmahlich zu einer Auflösung dieser Engpassbereiche und schafft dadurch ein zunehmendes Potential für die Abschaffung sektorspezifischer Regulierungseingriffe. Demgegenüber beinhalten alle Formen asymmetrischer Regulierung eine immanente Verzerrung zugunsten spezieller Firmen oder Technologien und damit einhergehend eine starke Tendenz zur Uberregulierung. Die neuen Telekommunikationsgesetze in Deutschland und in der Schweiz stellen bedeutende Beispiele für asymmetrische Regulierungsrahmen dar. Allerdings erweist sich das neue schweizerische Telekommunikationsgesetz als weniger restriktiv und transparenter als sein deutsches Gegenstück. Es ist daher zu erwarten, daß das zunehmende Potential für ein ‘phasing out' sektorspezifischer Regulierungseingriffe in der Schweiz rascher ausgeschöpft wird als in Deutschland. RÉSUMÉ A près une ouverture entière du marché de télécommunication une régularisation de la domination du marché ne sera justifiée à l'avenir que dans les réseaux locaux aussi longtemps qu'ils constituent des goulots d'étranglement monopolistiques. Le progrès technique dans les réseaux locaux mène peu à peu à la disparition des ces goulots détranglement en créant ainsi un potentiel croissant de suppression de la régularisation sécteur‐spécifique. Par contre, toutes les formes de régularisation asymétrique contenant une distorsion immanente au profit de certaines firmes ou de certaines technologies ont une forte tendance à la sur‐régularisation. Les nouvelles lois de télécommunication en Allemagne et en Suisse sont des exemples importants d'encadrements asymétriques de régularisation. Cependant, la nouvelle lot de télécommunication suisse se montre moins restrictive et plus transparente que la loi respective en Allemagne. Par conséquent, l'on peut s'attendre à ce que le potentiel croissant de suppression de régularisations sécteur‐spécifiques sera épuisé plus vite en Suisse qu'en Allemagne.

Suggested Citation

  • Günter Knieps, 1997. "Phasing out Sector‐Specific Regulation in Competitive Telecommunications," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(3), pages 325-339, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:kyklos:v:50:y:1997:i:3:p:325-339
    DOI: 10.1111/1467-6435.00019
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    Cited by:

    1. Günter Knieps, 2019. "Internet der Dinge und die Zukunft der Netzökonomie [Internet of Things and the Future of Network Economics]," Wirtschaftsdienst, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 99(5), pages 348-354, May.
    2. Juan J. Montero, 2019. "Asymmetric regulation for competition in European railways?," Competition and Regulation in Network Industries, , vol. 20(2), pages 184-201, June.
    3. Montenegro, Lourdes O. & Araral, Eduardo, 2020. "Can competition-enhancing regulation bridge the quality divide in Internet provision?," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(1).

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