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The European framework for regulating telecommunications: a 25-year appraisal

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  • Cave, Martin
  • Genakos, Christos
  • Valletti, Tommaso

Abstract

The European telecommunications sector has been radically transformed in the past 25 years: from a group of state monopolies to a set of increasingly competitive markets. In this paper we summarize how this process has unfolded—for both fixed and mobile telecommunications—by focusing on the evolution of the regulatory framework and by drawing some parallels with the evolution of the sector in the US. Given the major strategic importance of the sector, we highlight some of the challenges that lie ahead.

Suggested Citation

  • Cave, Martin & Genakos, Christos & Valletti, Tommaso, 2019. "The European framework for regulating telecommunications: a 25-year appraisal," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 100360, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:100360
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Oughton, Edward J. & Comini, Niccolò & Foster, Vivien & Hall, Jim W., 2022. "Policy choices can help keep 4G and 5G universal broadband affordable," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    3. Gisca, Oxana & Matinmikko-Blue, Marja & Ahokangas, Petri & Gordon, Jillian & Yrjölä, Seppo, 2023. "A regulatory perspective on local mobile communication network business in Europe: legitimacy considerations," 32nd European Regional ITS Conference, Madrid 2023: Realising the digital decade in the European Union – Easier said than done? 277966, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    4. Giulia Canzian & Gianluca Mazzarella & Frank Verboven & Stefano Verzillo & Louis Ronchail, 2021. "Evaluating the Impact of Price Caps - Evidence from the European Roam-Like-at-Home Regulation," CESifo Working Paper Series 9303, CESifo.
    5. Briglauer, Wolfgang & Camarda, Enrico Maria & Vogelsang, Ingo, 2019. "Path dependencies versus efficiencies in regulation: Evidence from “old” and “new” broadband markets in the EU," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(8), pages 1-1.
    6. John Kwoka & Tommaso Valletti, 2021. "Unscrambling the eggs: breaking up consummated mergers and dominant firms [Too much data: prices and inefficiencies in data markets]," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 30(5), pages 1286-1306.
    7. Edmond Baranes & Cuong Hung Vuong, 2023. "Economic contribution to the debate on cost sharing policy," Working Papers hal-04016762, HAL.
    8. Calzada, Joan & Diaz-Serrano, Luis, 2023. "Conflicting national policies: The creation of the euro and the rebalancing of telecommunications prices," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(1).
    9. Édgar González López & Luz Mónica Herrera Zapata & Jorge Murgueitio Cabrera & Sandra Milena Ortiz Laverde, 2021. "Las TIC y la sociedad digital: doce años después de la ley. Tomo I, Las TIC y las telecomunicaciones y el derecho a la competencia," Books, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Facultad de Derecho, number 1314, October.
    10. Michael L. Polemis & Markos Tselekounis, 2021. "Threshold effects in the regulation-innovation nexus: evidence from the telecommunications industry," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 60(1), pages 74-93, August.
    11. Philip Chen & Edward J Oughton & Pete Tyler & Mo Jia & Jakub Zagdanski, 2020. "Evaluating the impact of next generation broadband on local business creation," Papers 2010.14113, arXiv.org.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    European Union; Fixed and mobile telecommunication networks; Institutional design; Telecommunications regulation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L43 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Legal Monopolies and Regulation or Deregulation
    • L50 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - General
    • L96 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Telecommunications
    • O52 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Europe

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