[go: up one dir, main page]
IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/tse/wpaper/127828.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Welfare Cost of Mobile Spectrum (Mis)allocation

Author

Listed:
  • Aimene, Louise
  • Guiffard, Jean-Baptiste
  • Ivaldi, Marc
  • Liang, Julienne
Abstract
Conditions under which spectrum is allocated are significant in determining the market structure in the telecom sector which in turn affects the prices and the quality of mobile services. In a more concentrated market, the quantity of spectrum is less diluted, and operators can offer higher quality to their customers; In a more competitive market, consumers can benefit from a lower price but at the expense of less quality for each operator. To address this trade-off, we first fit a demand model of mobile telecommunications services on a unique panel database of 23 European MNOs; we then conduct counterfactual simulations to measure the effect on consumer surplus of different schemes of spectrum allocation in Germany. Reallocating additional spectrum to three instead of four operators is consumer welfare improving as increasing prices is compensated by larger improvement in quality.

Suggested Citation

  • Aimene, Louise & Guiffard, Jean-Baptiste & Ivaldi, Marc & Liang, Julienne, 2023. "Welfare Cost of Mobile Spectrum (Mis)allocation," TSE Working Papers 23-1407, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    • Handle: RePEc:tse:wpaper:127828
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.tse-fr.eu/sites/default/files/TSE/documents/doc/wp/2023/wp_tse_1407.pdf
    File Function: Working paper
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Georges Vivien Houngbonon & François Jeanjean, 2016. "What level of competition intensity maximises investment in the wireless industry?," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) halshs-01510421, HAL.
    2. Thomas W. Hazlett & Roberto E. Muñoz, 2009. "A welfare analysis of spectrum allocation policies," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 40(3), pages 424-454, September.
    3. Steven T. Berry & Philip A. Haile, 2021. "Foundations of Demand Estimation," NBER Working Papers 29305, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Christos Genakos & Tommaso Valletti & Frank Verboven, 2018. "Evaluating market consolidation in mobile communications," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 33(93), pages 45-100.
    5. Fayçal Sawadogo, 2021. "Demand price elasticity of mobile voice communication: A comparative firm level data analysis," Post-Print halshs-03293392, HAL.
    6. Woroch, Glenn A, 2020. "Spectrum Concentration and Performance of the U.S. Wireless Industry," Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt8vv381jt, Department of Economics, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley.
    7. Steven T. Berry, 1994. "Estimating Discrete-Choice Models of Product Differentiation," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 25(2), pages 242-262, Summer.
    8. Georges Vivien Houngbonon & François Jeanjean, 2016. "What level of competition intensity maximises investment in the wireless industry?," Post-Print halshs-01510421, HAL.
    9. Peha, Jon M., 2017. "Cellular economies of scale and why disparities in spectrum holdings are detrimental," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(9), pages 792-801.
    10. Glenn A. Woroch, 2020. "Spectrum Concentration and Performance of the U.S. Wireless Industry," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 56(1), pages 73-105, February.
    11. François Jeanjean & Georges Vivien Houngbonon, 2017. "Market structure and investment in the mobile industry," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) halshs-01510424, HAL.
    12. Motta, Massimo & Tarantino, Emanuele, 2021. "The effect of horizontal mergers, when firms compete in prices and investments," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    13. Ivaldi, Marc & Verboven, Frank, 2005. "Quantifying the effects from horizontal mergers in European competition policy," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 23(9-10), pages 669-691, December.
    14. Jeanjean, François & Houngbonon, Georges Vivien, 2017. "Market structure and investment in the mobile industry," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 12-22.
    15. Sawadogo, Fayçal, 2021. "Demand price elasticity of mobile voice communication: A comparative firm level data analysis," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    16. François Jeanjean & Georges Vivien Houngbonon, 2017. "Market structure and investment in the mobile industry," Post-Print halshs-01510424, HAL.
    17. Houngbonon, Georges Vivien & Jeanjean, François, 2016. "What level of competition intensity maximises investment in the wireless industry?," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(8), pages 774-790.
    18. Aviv Nevo, 2000. "Mergers with Differentiated Products: The Case of the Ready-to-Eat Cereal Industry," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 31(3), pages 395-421, Autumn.
    19. Kuroda, Toshifumi & Baquero Forero, Maria del Pilar, 2017. "The effects of spectrum allocation mechanisms on market outcomes: Auctions vs beauty contests," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(5), pages 341-354.
    20. Berry, Steven & Levinsohn, James & Pakes, Ariel, 1995. "Automobile Prices in Market Equilibrium," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 63(4), pages 841-890, July.
    21. Frank Verboven, 1996. "International Price Discrimination in the European Car Market," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 27(2), pages 240-268, Summer.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Wellmann, Nicolas, 2019. "Hello . . . Are You Still There? An Empirical Analysis How Market Structure Affects Quality of Mobile Networks," VfS Annual Conference 2019 (Leipzig): 30 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall - Democracy and Market Economy 203579, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    2. Jeanjean, François & Liang, Julienne, 2023. "Market structure and performance in mobile markets. The example of Europe," 32nd European Regional ITS Conference, Madrid 2023: Realising the digital decade in the European Union – Easier said than done? 277979, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    3. Aimene, Louise & Jeanjean, François & Liang, Julienne, 2021. "Impact of mobile operator consolidation on unit prices," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(4).
    4. Houngbonon, Georges Vivien & Ivaldi, Marc & Palikot, Emil & Strusani, Davide, 2023. "The Impact of Shared Telecom Infrastructure on Digital Connectivity and Inclusion," TSE Working Papers 23-1427, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    5. François Jeanjean, 2021. "Impact of Technical Progress on the Relationship Between Competition and Investment," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 81-101, March.
    6. Houngbonon, Georges V. & Ivaldi, Marc & Palikot, Emil & Strusani, Davide, 2023. "The Impact of Shared Telecom Infrastructure on Digital Connectivity and Inclusion," 32nd European Regional ITS Conference, Madrid 2023: Realising the digital decade in the European Union – Easier said than done? 277970, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    7. Liang Wang & Qiming Sun, 2022. "Market Competition, Infrastructure Sharing, and Network Investment in China’s Mobile Telecommunications Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-17, March.
    8. Georges V. Houngbonon & Francois Jeanjean, 2019. "Investment and market power in mobile mergers," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 46(1), pages 65-81, March.
    9. Céline Bonnet & Pierre Dubois, 2010. "Inference on vertical contracts between manufacturers and retailers allowing for nonlinear pricing and resale price maintenance," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 41(1), pages 139-164, March.
    10. Bonnet, Céline & Dubois, Pierre & Simioni, Michel, 2004. "Two-Part Tariffs versus Linear Pricing between Manufacturers and Retailers: Empirical Tests on Differentiated Products Markets," IDEI Working Papers 370, Institut d'Économie Industrielle (IDEI), Toulouse, revised Apr 2006.
    11. Brito, Duarte & Vasconcelos, Helder, 2023. "Competitive effects of mergers and of spectrum divestment remedies in mobile telecommunication markets," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(10).
    12. Patrick Cayseele & Stijn Vanormelingen, 2019. "Merger Analysis in Two-Sided Markets: The Belgian Newspaper Industry," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 54(3), pages 509-541, May.
    13. Bokhari, Farasat A.S. & Mariuzzo, Franco, 2018. "Demand estimation and merger simulations for drugs: Logits v. AIDS," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 653-685.
    14. Cojoc, Anca & Ivaldi, Marc & Maier-Rigaud, Frank P. & März, Oliver, 2020. "Horizontal cooperation on investment: Evidence from mobile network sharing," TSE Working Papers 20-1100, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    15. Glenn A. Woroch, 2020. "Spectrum Concentration and Performance of the U.S. Wireless Industry," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 56(1), pages 73-105, February.
    16. Aimene, Louise & Jeanjean, Francois & Liang, Julienne, 2019. "Impact of mobile operators consolidation on unitary price," 30th European Regional ITS Conference, Helsinki 2019 205161, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    17. Woroch, Glenn A, 2020. "Spectrum Concentration and Performance of the U.S. Wireless Industry," Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt8vv381jt, Department of Economics, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley.
    18. Lefouili, Yassine & Madio, Leonardo, 2023. "Market Structure and Investments : A Progress Report," TSE Working Papers 23-1491, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE), revised Sep 2024.
    19. Pereira, Pedro & Ribeiro, Tiago, 2011. "The impact on broadband access to the Internet of the dual ownership of telephone and cable networks," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 283-293, March.
    20. Ivaldi, Marc & Lörincz, Szabolcs, 2005. "A Full Equilibrium Relevant Market Test: Application to Computer Servers," CEPR Discussion Papers 4917, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    spectrum allocation; network investment; market structure; investment and; competition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L40 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - General
    • L96 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Telecommunications
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms

    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:tse:wpaper:127828. 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: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/tsetofr.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.