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The Promise and Pitfalls of Restructuring Network Industries

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  • Buehler Stefan

    (University of Zurich and University of St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland)

Abstract

This paper examines the competitive effects of reorganizing a network industry’s vertical structure. In this industry, an upstream monopolist operates a network used as an input to produce horizontally differentiated final products that are imperfect substitutes. Three potential pitfalls of restructuring integrated network industries are analyzed: (i) double marginalization, (ii) underinvestment and (iii) vertical foreclosure. The paper studies the net effect of restructuring on retail prices and cost-reducing investment and discusses policy implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Buehler Stefan, 2005. "The Promise and Pitfalls of Restructuring Network Industries," German Economic Review, De Gruyter, vol. 6(2), pages 205-228, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:germec:v:6:y:2005:i:2:p:205-228
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1465-6485.2005.00127.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mandy, David M, 2000. "Killing the Goose That May Have Laid the Golden Egg: Only the Data Know Whether Sabotage Pays," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 157-172, March.
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    5. Buehler, Stefan & Schmutzler, Armin & Benz, Men-Andri, 2004. "Infrastructure quality in deregulated industries: is there an underinvestment problem?," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 253-267, February.
    6. Chen, Yongmin, 2001. "On Vertical Mergers and Their Competitive Effects," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 32(4), pages 667-685, Winter.
    7. Weisman, Dennis L & Kang, Jaesung, 2001. "Incentives for Discrimination when Upstream Monopolists Participate in Downstream Markets," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 125-139, September.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Johan WILLNER & Sonja GRÖNBLOM, 2011. "Reforming a network industry: consequences for cost efficiency and welfare," Departmental Working Papers 2011-33, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.
    2. Christian Growitsch & Marcus Stronzik, 2014. "Ownership unbundling of natural gas transmission networks: empirical evidence," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 46(2), pages 207-225, October.
    3. Schmidtchen, Dieter & Bier, Christoph, 2006. "Netznutzungsentgelte als Wettbewerbshindernis? Diskriminierungsanreize und Regulierung in liberalisierten Strommärkten: Eine spieltheoretische Analyse," CSLE Discussion Paper Series 2006-05 [rev.], Saarland University, CSLE - Center for the Study of Law and Economics.
    4. Schmidtchen, Dieter & Bier, Christoph, 2005. "Killing the goose that may have laid the golden egg? The incentives to discriminate and the regulation of access charges in the German electricity supply industry," CSLE Discussion Paper Series 2005-07, Saarland University, CSLE - Center for the Study of Law and Economics.
    5. Bier, Christoph & Schmidtchen, Dieter, 2006. ""Golden-Gans"-Effekt, Preisdiskriminierungsgefahr und die Regulierung von Netznutzungsentgelten," CSLE Discussion Paper Series 2006-01, Saarland University, CSLE - Center for the Study of Law and Economics.
    6. Sonja GRÖNBLOM & Johan WILLNER, 2008. "Privatization And Liberalization: Costs And Benefits In The Presence Of Wage‐Bargaining," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 79(1), pages 133-160, March.
    7. Schmidtchen, Dieter & Bier, Christoph, 2006. "Netznutzungsentgelte als Wettbewerbshindernis? Diskriminierungsanreize und Regulierung in liberalisierten Strommärkten: Eine spieltheoretische Analyse," CSLE Discussion Paper Series 2006-05, Saarland University, CSLE - Center for the Study of Law and Economics.
    8. Christoph Bier & Dieter Schmidtchen, "undated". "„Golden-Gans“-Effekt, Preisdiskriminierungsgefahr und die Regulierung von Netznutzungsentgelten," German Working Papers in Law and Economics 2006-1-1137, Berkeley Electronic Press.
    9. Dieter Schmidtchen & Christoph Bier, "undated". "Netznutzungsentgelte als Wettbewerbshindernis? Diskriminierungsanreize und Regulierung in liberalisierten Strommärkten – Eine spieltheoretische Analyse

      The Access Pricing Problem: Incentives      ," German Working Papers in Law and Economics 2006-1-1158, Berkeley Electronic Press.
    10. Growitsch, Christian & Stronzik, Marcus, 2011. "Ownership Unbundling of Gas Transmission Networks - Empirical Evidence," EWI Working Papers 2011-7, Energiewirtschaftliches Institut an der Universitaet zu Koeln (EWI).
    11. Hofer, Christian & Dresner, Martin, 2007. "Industry Issue Paper: The United States—European Union Open Aviation Area: The American Perspective," Journal of the Transportation Research Forum, Transportation Research Forum, vol. 46(1).
    12. Ugur, Mehmet, 2009. "Liberalisation in a world of second best: evidence on European network industries," MPRA Paper 17873, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 13 Oct 2009.
    13. Dieter Schmidtchen & Christoph Bier, "undated". "Killing the Goose That May Have Laid the Golden Egg?," German Working Papers in Law and Economics 2005-1-1123, Berkeley Electronic Press.
    14. Johan WILLNER & Sonja GRÖNBLOM, 2017. "Public Enterprises – Objectives and Performance," Departmental Working Papers 2017-03, Department of Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods at Università degli Studi di Milano.
    15. Johan WILLNER & Sonja GRÖNBLOM, 2015. "The Organisation of Services of General Interest in Finland," CIRIEC Working Papers 1520, CIRIEC - Université de Liège.
    16. Johan Willner & Sonja Gronblom, 2016. "The organisation of services of general interest in Finland," ECONOMIA PUBBLICA, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2016(3), pages 89-116.
    17. Yongmin Chen & David E. M. Sappington, 2010. "Innovation In Vertically Related Markets," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(2), pages 373-401, June.

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