IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/21515.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Welfare Analysis of Regulating Mobile Termination Rates in the UK (with an Application to the Orange/T-Mobile Merger)

Author

Listed:
  • Harbord, David
  • Hoernig, Steffen

Abstract

This paper presents results from a calibrated welfare model of the UK mobile telephony market which includes many mobile networks; calls to and from the fixed network; networkbased price discrimination; and call externalities. The analysis focuses on the short-run effects of adopting lower mobile termination rates (MTRs) on total welfare, consumer surplus and profits. Our simulations show that reducing MTRs broadly in line with the recent European Commission Recommendation to either “long-run incremental cost”; reciprocal termination charges with fixed networks; or “bill-and-keep” (i.e. zero termination rates), increases social welfare, consumer surplus and networks’ profits. Depending on the strength of call externalities, social welfare may increase by as much as £360 million to £2.5 billion per year. The analysis thus lends support to a move away from fully-allocated cost pricing and towards much lower MTRs, with bill-and-keep frequently leading to the highest increase in welfare when call externalities matter. We also apply the model to estimate the welfare effects of the recently-approved merger between Orange and T-Mobile under two different scenarios concerning MTRs.

Suggested Citation

  • Harbord, David & Hoernig, Steffen, 2010. "Welfare Analysis of Regulating Mobile Termination Rates in the UK (with an Application to the Orange/T-Mobile Merger)," MPRA Paper 21515, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:21515
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/21515/1/MPRA_paper_21515.pdf
    File Function: original version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Oliver Budzinski & Isabel Ruhmer, 2010. "Merger Simulation In Competition Policy: A Survey," Journal of Competition Law and Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 6(2), pages 277-319.
    2. Hoernig, Steffen, 2007. "On-net and off-net pricing on asymmetric telecommunications networks," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 171-188, June.
    3. Dewenter Ralf & Haucap Justus, 2008. "Demand Elasticities for Mobile Telecommunications in Austria," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 228(1), pages 49-63, February.
    4. Berger, Ulrich, 2005. "Bill-and-keep vs. cost-based access pricing revisited," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 86(1), pages 107-112, January.
    5. Mark Armstrong & Julian Wright, 2009. "Mobile Call Termination," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 119(538), pages 270-307, June.
    6. Ralf Dewenter & Justus Haucap, 2005. "The Effects of Regulating Mobile Termination Rates for Asymmetric Networks," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 185-197, September.
    7. Luís Cabral, 2011. "Dynamic Price Competition with Network Effects," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 78(1), pages 83-111.
    8. Julian Wright, 2002. "Access Pricing under Competition: An Application to Cellular Networks," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(3), pages 289-315, September.
    9. Ken Binmore & David Harbord, 2005. "Bargaining Over Fixed-To-Mobile Termination Rates: Countervailing Buyer Power As A Constraint On Monopoly Power," Journal of Competition Law and Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 1(3), pages 449-472.
    10. Armstrong, Mark, 2001. "The theory of access pricing and interconnection," MPRA Paper 15608, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Luke Froeb & Gregory Werden, 2000. "An Introduction to the Symposium on the Use of Simulation in Applied Industrial Organization," International Journal of the Economics of Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(2), pages 133-137.
    12. Armstrong, Mark & Wright, Julian, 2007. "Mobile call termination in the UK," MPRA Paper 2344, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Michael Carter & Julian Wright, 2003. "Asymmetric Network Interconnection," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 22(1), pages 27-46, February.
    14. Joan Calzada & Tommaso M. Valletti, 2008. "Network Competition and Entry Deterrence," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 118(531), pages 1223-1244, August.
    15. Michael Carter & Julian Wright, 1999. "Interconnection in Network Industries," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 14(1), pages 1-25, February.
    16. Doh-Shin Jeon & Jean-Jacques Laffont & Jean Tirole, 2004. "On the Receiver-Pays Principle," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 35(1), pages 85-110, Spring.
    17. Jean-Jacques Laffont & Patrick Rey & Jean Tirole, 1998. "Network Competition: II. Price Discrimination," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 29(1), pages 38-56, Spring.
    18. Hoernig, Steffen, 2008. "Tariff-Mediated Network Externalities: Is Regulatory Intervention Any Good?," CEPR Discussion Papers 6866, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    19. Christos Genakos & Tommaso Valletti, 2011. "Testing The “Waterbed” Effect In Mobile Telephony," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 9(6), pages 1114-1142, December.
    20. Harbord David & Pagnozzi Marco, 2010. "Network-Based Price Discrimination and `Bill-and-Keep' vs. `Cost-Based' Regulation of Mobile Termination Rates," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 9(1), pages 1-46, February.
    21. Hoernig, Steffen, 2014. "Competition between multiple asymmetric networks: Theory and applications," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 57-69.
    22. Luis López, Ángel, 2011. "Mobile termination rates and the receiver-pays regime," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 171-181, June.
    23. Carlo Cambini & Tommaso M. Valletti, 2008. "Information Exchange And Competition In Communications Networks," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(4), pages 707-728, December.
    24. Tommaso Valletti & George Houpis, 2005. "Mobile Termination: What is the “Right” Charge?," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 28(3), pages 235-258, November.
    25. Gans, Joshua S. & King, Stephen P., 2000. "Mobile network competition, customer ignorance and fixed-to-mobile call prices," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 301-327, December.
    26. 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.
    27. Wolfgang Briglauer & Anton Schwarz & Christine Zulehner, 2011. "Is fixed-mobile substitution strong enough to de-regulate fixed voice telephony? Evidence from the Austrian markets," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 39(1), pages 50-67, February.
    28. Steffen Hoernig, 2008. "Market Penetration and Late Entry in Mobile Telephony," Working Papers 08-38, NET Institute, revised Oct 2008.
    29. Gans, Joshua S. & King, Stephen P., 2001. "Using 'bill and keep' interconnect arrangements to soften network competition," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 71(3), pages 413-420, June.
    30. Ulrich Berger, 2004. "Access Charges in the Presence of Call Externalities," Industrial Organization 0408009, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 31 Aug 2004.
    31. Berger Ulrich, 2005. "Access Charges in the Presence of Call Externalities," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 3(1), pages 1-16, January.
    32. Patrick Degraba, 2003. "Efficient Intercarrier Compensation for Competing Networks When Customers Share the Value of A Call," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(2), pages 207-230, June.
    33. Oliver Budzinski, 2008. "A Note on Competing Merger Simulation Models in Antitrust Cases: Can the Best Be Identified?," MAGKS Papers on Economics 200803, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Torben Stühmeier, 2013. "Access regulation with asymmetric termination costs," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 60-89, January.
    2. Hoernig, Steffen, 2014. "Competition between multiple asymmetric networks: Theory and applications," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 57-69.
    3. Genakos, Christos & Valletti, Tommaso, 2011. "Seesaw in the air: Interconnection regulation and the structure of mobile tariffs," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 159-170, June.
    4. Vogelsang Ingo, 2013. "The Endgame of Telecommunications Policy? A Survey," Review of Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 64(3), pages 193-270, December.
    5. Son, Pham Hai & Son, Le Hoang & Jha, Sudan & Kumar, Raghvendra & Chatterjee, Jyotir Moy, 2019. "Governing mobile Virtual Network Operators in developing countries," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 169-180.
    6. Lee, Jongyong & Lee, Duk Hee, 2012. "Asymmetry of mobile termination rates and the waterbed effect," 23rd European Regional ITS Conference, Vienna 2012 60353, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    7. Agostini, Claudio A. & Willington, Manuel & Lazcano, Raúl & Saavedra, Eduardo, 2017. "Predation and network based price discrimination in Chile," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(9), pages 781-791.
    8. Hurkens, Sjaak & López, Ángel L., 2014. "Who Should Pay for Two-way Interconnection?," IESE Research Papers D/1102, IESE Business School.
    9. Baigorri, Carlos M. & Maldonado, Wilfredo F.L., 2014. "Optimal mobile termination rate: The Brazilian mobile market case," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 86-95.
    10. Hurkens, Sjaak & López, Ángel L., 2012. "The welfare effects of mobile termination rate regulation in asymmetric oligopolies: The case of Spain," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 369-381.
    11. Claudio Agostini & Raul Lazcano & Eduardo Saavedra & Manuel Willington, 2016. "Price Differentiation between On-Net and Off-Net Calls: An Application to the Chilean Telephony Market," Working Papers wp_051, Adolfo Ibáñez University, School of Government.
    12. Stühmeier, Torben, 2010. "Fixed to VoIP Interconnection: Regulation with Asymmetric Termination Costs," 21st European Regional ITS Conference, Copenhagen 2010: Telecommunications at new crossroads - Changing value configurations, user roles, and regulation 34, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    13. Tommaso Majer & Michele Pistollato, 2016. "Calling vs. Receiving Party Pays," Competition and Regulation in Network Industries, , vol. 17(2), pages 150-180, June.
    14. Kryuchkova, Polina, 2013. "Regulation of prices for call termination to network telephone operator: antitrust or tariff regulation?," Ekonomicheskaya Politika / Economic Policy, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, pages 126-142, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. David Harbord & Steffen Hoernig, 2015. "Welfare Analysis of Regulating Mobile Termination Rates in the U.K," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(4), pages 673-703, December.
    2. Harbord, David & Pagnozzi, Marco, 2008. "On-Net/Off-Net Price Discrimination and 'Bill-and-Keep' vs. 'Cost-Based' Regulation of Mobile Termination Rates," MPRA Paper 14540, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Hoernig, Steffen, 2014. "Competition between multiple asymmetric networks: Theory and applications," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 57-69.
    4. Hurkens, Sjaak & López, Ángel L., 2012. "The welfare effects of mobile termination rate regulation in asymmetric oligopolies: The case of Spain," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 369-381.
    5. Vogelsang Ingo, 2013. "The Endgame of Telecommunications Policy? A Survey," Review of Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 64(3), pages 193-270, December.
    6. Steffen Hoernig & Marc Bourreau & Carlo Cambini, 2014. "Fixed-mobile integration," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 57-74, February.
    7. Sjaak Hurkens & Ángel Luis López, 2010. "Mobile Termination and Consumer Expectations under the Receiver-Pays Regime," Working Papers 10-12, NET Institute.
    8. Agostini, Claudio A. & Willington, Manuel & Lazcano, Raúl & Saavedra, Eduardo, 2017. "Predation and network based price discrimination in Chile," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(9), pages 781-791.
    9. Mark Armstrong & Julian Wright, 2009. "Mobile Call Termination," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 119(538), pages 270-307, June.
    10. Hurkens, Sjaak & López, Ángel L., 2014. "Who Should Pay for Two-way Interconnection?," IESE Research Papers D/1102, IESE Business School.
    11. Zucchini, Leon & Claussen, Jörg & Trüg, Moritz, 2013. "Tariff-mediated network effects versus strategic discounting: Evidence from German mobile telecommunications," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 751-759.
    12. Hoernig, Steffen, 2007. "On-net and off-net pricing on asymmetric telecommunications networks," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 171-188, June.
    13. Sobolewski, Maciej & Czajkowski, Mikołaj, 2018. "Receiver benefits and strategic use of call externalities in mobile telephony markets," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 16-27.
    14. Luis López, Ángel, 2011. "Mobile termination rates and the receiver-pays regime," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 171-181, June.
    15. Carlo Cambini & Tommaso M. Valletti, 2008. "Information Exchange And Competition In Communications Networks," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(4), pages 707-728, December.
    16. 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.
    17. Claudio Agostini & Raul Lazcano & Eduardo Saavedra & Manuel Willington, 2016. "Price Differentiation between On-Net and Off-Net Calls: An Application to the Chilean Telephony Market," Working Papers wp_051, Adolfo Ibáñez University, School of Government.
    18. Ángel L. López & Patrick Rey, 2016. "Foreclosing Competition Through High Access Charges and Price Discrimination," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(3), pages 436-465, September.
    19. Muck, Johannes, 2016. "Tariff-mediated network effects with incompletely informed consumers," DICE Discussion Papers 210, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    20. Hurkens, Sjaak & Jeon, Doh-Shin, 2009. "Mobile termination and mobile penetration," IESE Research Papers D/816, IESE Business School.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    telecommunications; regulation; mobile termination rates; network effects; welfare; simulations welfare; simulations;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L96 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Telecommunications
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:21515. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Joachim Winter (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/vfmunde.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.