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Antitrust Analysis for the Internet Upstream Market: a BGP Approach

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Author Info
D’Ignazio, A.
Giovannetti, E.

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Abstract

In this paper we study concentration in the European Internet upstream access market. Measurement of market concentration depends on correctly defining the market, but this is not always possible as Antitrust authorities often lack reliable pricing and traffic data. We present an alternative approach based on the inference of the Internet Operators interconnection policies using micro-data sourced from their Border Gateway Protocol tables. Firstly we propose a price-independent algorithm for defining both the vertical and geographical relevant market boundaries, then we calculate market concentration indexes using two novel metrics. These assess, for each undertaking, both its role in terms of essential network facility and of wholesale market dominance. The results, applied to four leading Internet Exchange Points in London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Milan, show that some vertical segments of these markets are extremely competitive, while others are highly concentrated, putting them within the special attention category of the Merger Guidelines.

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File URL: http://www.econ.cam.ac.uk/dae/repec/cam/pdf/cwpe0554.pdf
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge in its series Cambridge Working Papers in Economics with number 0554.

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Length: 31
Date of creation: Nov 2005
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Handle: RePEc:cam:camdae:0554

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Related research
Keywords: Network Industries; Internet; Market Concentration; Essential Facilities; BGP;

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
K21 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Antitrust Law
L40 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - General
L86 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Information and Internet Services; Computer Software
L96 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Telecommunications

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  1. Werden, Gregory J & Froeb, Luke M, 1994. "The Effects of Mergers in Differentiated Products Industries: Logit Demand and Merger Policy," Journal of Law, Economics and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 10(2), pages 407-26, October.
  2. Scheffman, David T & Spiller, Pablo T, 1987. "Geographic Market Definition under the U.S. Department of Justice Merger Guidelines," Journal of Law & Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 30(1), pages 123-47, April.
  3. Giovannetti, E. & Ristuccia, C.A., 2003. "Estimating Market Power in the Internet Backbone Using Band-X data," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 0332, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge. [Downloadable!]
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