The Changing Structure of Cost and Demand for the U.S. Telecommunications Industry
Abstract
This paper formulates a multiproduct structural model to examine the evolution of the structure of production and demand and the dynamic interaction between the two in the context of the U.S. telecommunications industry over an extended period, from 1935 to 1987. We estimate the degree of scale economies, cost elasticities, input price elasticities and the determinants of output demand. The contribution of the quasi-fixed inputs, such as R&D and physical capital, in the evolution of this industry are examined. Using our analytical framework and a long sample period, we examine a number of important issues such as the stability of the cost and demand structure over time, the changing characteristics of demand for local and toll services and the variation of price-cost margin over time under different economic conditions, market structures and regulatory environments. Use of this approach makes it possible to analyze the effects of the 1984 divestiture of the Bell System on the cost structure, employment and capital formation of the telecommunications industry in the U.S.Download Info
If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.Bibliographic Info
Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 5820.Length:
Date of creation: Nov 1996
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:5820
Note: PR
Contact details of provider:
Postal: National Bureau of Economic Research, 1050 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
Phone: 617-868-3900
Email:
Web page: http://www.nber.org
More information through EDIRC
Related research
Keywords:Find related papers by JEL classification:
- L5 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy
- L7 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Primary Products and Construction
References
References listed on IDEASPlease report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Schankerman, Mark & Nadiri, M. Ishaq, 1986. "A test of static equilibrium models and rates of return to quasi-fixed factors, with an application to the Bell system," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 33(1-2), pages 97-118.
- B.E. Davis & G.J. Caccappolo & M.A. Chaudry, 1973. "An Econometric Planning Model for American Telephone and Telegraph Company," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 4(1), pages 29-56, Spring.
- Bernstein, Jeffrey I, 1989.
"An Examination of the Equilibrium Specification and Structure of Production for Canadian Telecommunications,"
Journal of Applied Econometrics,
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 4(3), pages 265-82, July-Sept.
- Bernstein, Jeffrey I., 1987. "An Examination of the Equilibrium Specification and Structure of Production for Canadian Telecommunications," Working Papers 87-21, C.V. Starr Center for Applied Economics, New York University.
- Evans, David S & Heckman, James J, 1984. "A Test for Subadditivity of the Cost Function with an Application to the Bell System," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 74(4), pages 615-23, September.
- Diewert, W.E. & Wales, T.J., 1991. "Multiproduct cost Functions and Subadditivity Tests : A Critique of the Evans and Heckman Research on the U.S. Bell System," UBC Departmental Archives 91-21, UBC Department of Economics.
- Jeffrey I. Bernstein & M. Ishaq Nadiri, 1991.
"Product Demand, Cost of Production, Spillovers, and the Social Rate of Return to R&D,"
NBER Working Papers
3625, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Bernstein, Jeffrey I. & Nadiri, M. Ishaq, 1990. "Product Demand, Cost Of Production, Spillovers And The Social Rate Or Return To R&D," Working Papers 90-53, C.V. Starr Center for Applied Economics, New York University.
- Kenneth E. Train & Daniel L. McFadden & Moshe Ben-Akiva, 1987. "The Demand for Local Telephone Service: A Fully Discrete Model of Residential Calling Patterns and Service Choices," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 18(1), pages 109-123, Spring.
- Bernstein, J.I. & Nadiri, M.I., 1988.
"Rates Of Return On Physical And R&D Capital And Structure Of The Production Process: Cross Section And Time Series Evidence,"
Working Papers
88-09, C.V. Starr Center for Applied Economics, New York University.
- Jeffrey I. Bernstein & M. Ishaq Nadiri, 1988. "Rates Of Return On Physical And R&D Capital And Structure Of The Production Process: Cross Section And Time Series Evidence," NBER Working Papers 2570, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Jeffrey I. Bernstein & Pierre A. Mohnen, 1991.
"Price-Cost Margins, Exports and Productivity Growth: With an Application to Canadian Industries,"
NBER Working Papers
3584, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Jeffrey I. Bernstein & Pierre Mohnen, 1991. "Price-Cost Margins, Exports and Productivity Growth: With an Application to Canadian Industries," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 24(3), pages 638-59, August.
- Catherine J. Morrison, 1990. "Market Power, Economic Profitability and Productivity Growth Measurement: An Integrated Structural Approach," NBER Working Papers 3355, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- M. Ishaq Nadiri & Theofanis P. Mamuneas, 1994. "Infrastructure and Public R&D Investments, and the Growth of Factor Productivity in US Manufacturing Industries," NBER Working Papers 4845, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
Citations
Lists
This item is not listed on Wikipedia, on a reading list or among the top items on IDEAS.Statistics
Access and download statisticsCorrections
When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:5820For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: ().
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 references are entirely missing, you can add them using this form.
If the full references list an item that is present in RePEc, but the system did not link 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 profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.
Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

