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Network competition and interconnection with heterogeneous subscribers

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  • Hahn, Jong-Hee

Abstract

This paper considers competition in a telecommunications industry, where heterogeneous consumers have private information about their preferences for telephone service and firms are allowed to use nonlinear tariffs. Networks, which directly compete for customers, are interconnected and pay access charges to one another. In a symmetric equilibrium, each network’s profit-maximising pricing policy generally involves a distortion in call allocation for all types, except when the (reciprocal) access charge is set equal to the call-termination cost. Under certain conditions, however, the resulting per-firm profit is independent of the access charge, and so the networks have no incentive to collude by choosing an access charge higher (or lower) than its cost. In this case, there is no need for regulatory intervention regarding access charges other than to provide a ‘focal point’ by recommending that the networks set access charges equal to the actual call-termination cost. This policy induces the efficient consumption of calls. Key Words : Two-way Networks, Interconnection, Nonlinear Pricing,Telecommunications Policy.
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  • Hahn, Jong-Hee, 2004. "Network competition and interconnection with heterogeneous subscribers," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 22(5), pages 611-631, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:indorg:v:22:y:2004:i:5:p:611-631
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    Cited by:

    1. Armstrong, Mark & Wright, Julian, 2007. "Mobile call termination in the UK," MPRA Paper 2344, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Luis López, Ángel, 2011. "Mobile termination rates and the receiver-pays regime," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 171-181, June.
    3. Sjaak Hurkens & Doh-Shin Jeon, 2009. "Mobile Termination and Mobile Penetration," UFAE and IAE Working Papers 777.09, Unitat de Fonaments de l'Anàlisi Econòmica (UAB) and Institut d'Anàlisi Econòmica (CSIC).
    4. Sjaak Hurkens & Ángel L. López, 2014. "Mobile Termination, Network Externalities and Consumer Expectations," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 124(579), pages 1005-1039, September.
    5. Viktória Kocsis, 2005. "Network Asymmetries and Access Pricing in Cellular Telecommunications," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 05-085/1, Tinbergen Institute.
    6. Hawthorne, Ryan, 2018. "The effects of lower mobile termination rates in South Africa," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(5), pages 374-385.
    7. Benjamin E. Hermalin & Michael L. Katz, 2011. "Customer or Complementor? Intercarrier Compensation with Two‐Sided Benefits," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(2), pages 379-408, June.
    8. Jullien, Bruno & Rey, Patrick & Sand-Zantman, Wilfried, 2009. "Mobile Call Termination Revisited," TSE Working Papers 10-198, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE), revised Aug 2010.
    9. Doh‐Shin Jeon & Sjaak Hurkens, 2008. "A retail benchmarking approach to efficient two‐way access pricing: no termination‐based price discrimination†," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 39(3), pages 822-849, September.
    10. Edmond Baranes & Laurent Flochel, 2008. "Competition in telecommunication networks with call externalities," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 34(1), pages 53-74, August.
    11. Jullien, Bruno & Rey, Patrick & Sand-Zantman, Wilfried, 2013. "Termination fees revisited," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 738-750.
    12. Kjetil Andersson & Øystein Foros & Bjørn Hansen, 2016. "Empirical Evidence on the Relationship between Mobile Termination Rates and Firms' Profits," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 118(1), pages 129-149, January.
    13. von Hirschhausen, Christian & Beckers, Thorsten & Brenck, Andreas, 2004. "Infrastructure regulation and investment for the long-term--an introduction," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 203-210, December.
    14. Kocsis, Viktória, 2005. "A hálózatok közötti aszimmetria hatása a mobilszolgáltatók végződtetési díjára [The effect of asymmetry among networks on the provision charges of mobile telephone services]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(7), pages 663-685.
    15. Armstrong, Mark, 2001. "The theory of access pricing and interconnection," MPRA Paper 15608, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Felix Hoeffler, 2006. "Mobile termination and collusion, revisited," Discussion Paper Series of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods 2006_16, Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods.
    17. Sue Mialon, 2007. "Pricing access in network competition," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 109-123, February.
    18. Thomas P. Tangerås, 2010. "Network Competition: Workhorse Resurrection," Working Papers 10-05, NET Institute.
    19. Harrison, Rodrigo & Hernandez, Gonzalo & Muñoz, Roberto, 2019. "A discrete model of market interaction in the presence of social networks and price discrimination," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 48-58.
    20. Armstrong, Mark & Sappington, David E.M., 2007. "Recent Developments in the Theory of Regulation," Handbook of Industrial Organization, in: Mark Armstrong & Robert Porter (ed.), Handbook of Industrial Organization, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 27, pages 1557-1700, Elsevier.
    21. Viktoria Kocsis, 2005. "Network Asymmetries and Access Pricing in Cellular Telecommunications," CERS-IE WORKING PAPERS 0513, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • L43 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Legal Monopolies and Regulation or Deregulation
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • L96 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Telecommunications

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