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The Welfare Effects of Early Termination Fees in the US Wireless Industry

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Listed:
  • Schutz, Nicolas
  • Cullen, Joseph
  • Shcherbakov, Oleksandr

Abstract

We develop and estimate a dynamic structural model of the US wireless industry. The demand model features two sources of dynamics: First, consumers that switch contracts must pay early termination fees to their current wireless service provider; second, handsets are durable. Consumers and wireless carriers are forward-looking and, in contrast to previous work, have perfect foresight over the evolution of the industry. Carriers compete using open-loop strategies. Counterfactual simulations reveal that the elimination of early termination fees, despite raising equilibrium prices, unambiguously benefits consumers. Firms may benefit as well provided the cost of processing early termination fees is high enough.

Suggested Citation

  • Schutz, Nicolas & Cullen, Joseph & Shcherbakov, Oleksandr, 2020. "The Welfare Effects of Early Termination Fees in the US Wireless Industry," CEPR Discussion Papers 15506, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:15506
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Switching costs; Perfect foresight; Structural estimation; Dynamics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L40 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - General
    • L96 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Telecommunications

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