IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/rtv/ceisrp/331.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Unbundling the Incumbent: Evidence from UK broadband

Author

Listed:

Abstract

We consider the impact of a regulatory process forcing an incumbent telecom operator to make its local broadband network available to other companies (local loop unbundling, or LLU). Entrants are then able to upgrade their individual lines and offer Internet services directly to customers. Employing a very detailed dataset covering the whole of the UK, we find that, over the course of time, many entrants have begun to take advantage of unbundling. LLU entry only had a positive effect on broadband penetration in the early years, and no longer in the recent years as the market reached maturity. In contrast, LLU entry continues to have a positive impact on the quality of the service provided, as entrants differentiate their products upwards compared to the incumbent. We also assess the impact of competition from an alternative form of technology (cable) which is not subject to regulation, and what we discover is that inter-platform competition has a positive impact on both penetration and quality.

Suggested Citation

  • Mattia Nardotto & Tommaso Valletti & Frank Verboven, 2014. "Unbundling the Incumbent: Evidence from UK broadband," CEIS Research Paper 331, Tor Vergata University, CEIS, revised 03 Oct 2014.
    • Handle: RePEc:rtv:ceisrp:331
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ceistorvergata.it/RePEc/rpaper/RP331.pdf
    File Function: Main text
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nicholas Economides & Katja Seim & V. Brian Viard, 2008. "Quantifying the benefits of entry into local phone service," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 39(3), pages 699-730, September.
    2. repec:adr:anecst:y:1994:i:34:p:07 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Nevo, Aviv, 2001. "Measuring Market Power in the Ready-to-Eat Cereal Industry," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 69(2), pages 307-342, March.
    4. Crandall Robert W. & Ingraham Allan T & Singer Hal J, 2004. "Do Unbundling Policies Discourage CLEC Facilities-Based Investment," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 4(1), pages 1-25, June.
    5. Marc Bourreau & Pinar Dogan, 2006. ""Build-or-Buy" Strategies in the Local Loop," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(2), pages 72-76, May.
    6. Mark D. Manuszak & Charles C. Moul, 2008. "Prices And Endogenous Market Structure In Office Supply Superstores," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(1), pages 94-112, March.
    7. Bouckaert, Jan & van Dijk, Theon & Verboven, Frank, 2010. "Access regulation, competition, and broadband penetration: An international study," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(11), pages 661-671, December.
    8. Jerry A. Hausman & J. Gregory Sidak, 2005. "Did Mandatory Unbundling Achieve Its Purpose? Empirical Evidence from Five Countries," Journal of Competition Law and Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 1(1), pages 173-245.
    9. Jerry A. Hausman & J. Gregory Sidak & HalJ. Singer, 2001. "Cable Modems and DSL: Broadband Internet Access for Residential Customers," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 91(2), pages 302-307, May.
    10. Idson, Todd L & Feaster, Daniel J, 1990. "A Selectivity Model of Employer-Size Wage Differentials," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 8(1), pages 99-122, January.
    11. Michał Grajek & Lars-Hendrik Röller, 2012. "Regulation and Investment in Network Industries: Evidence from European Telecoms," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 55(1), pages 189-216.
    12. Avi Goldfarb & Mo Xiao, 2011. "Who Thinks about the Competition? Managerial Ability and Strategic Entry in US Local Telephone Markets," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 101(7), pages 3130-3161, December.
    13. Heckman, James, 2013. "Sample selection bias as a specification error," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 31(3), pages 129-137.
    14. Lars-Hendrik Roller & Leonard Waverman, 2001. "Telecommunications Infrastructure and Economic Development: A Simultaneous Approach," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 91(4), pages 909-923, September.
    15. Shane Greenstein & Michael Mazzeo, 2006. "The Role Of Differentiation Strategy In Local Telecommunication Entry And Market Evolution: 1999–2002," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(3), pages 323-350, September.
    16. Xiao, Mo & Orazem, Peter F., 2011. "Does the fourth entrant make any difference?: Entry and competition in the early U.S. broadband market," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 29(5), pages 547-561, September.
    17. Wallsten Scott & Hausladen Stephanie, 2009. "Net Neutrality, Unbundling, and their Effects on International Investment in Next-Generation Networks," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 8(1), pages 1-23, March.
    18. Blundell, Richard & Bond, Stephen, 1998. "Initial conditions and moment restrictions in dynamic panel data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 115-143, August.
    19. Howard Smith, 2004. "Supermarket Choice and Supermarket Competition in Market Equilibrium," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 71(1), pages 235-263.
    20. Graeme Guthrie, 2006. "Regulating Infrastructure: The Impact on Risk and Investment," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 44(4), pages 925-972, December.
    21. Keane, Michael, 1993. "Simulation estimation for panel data models with limited dependent variables," MPRA Paper 53029, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    22. Timothy F. Bresnahan & Peter C. Reiss, 1994. "Measuring the Importance of Sunk Costs," Annals of Economics and Statistics, GENES, issue 34, pages 159-180.
    23. Tilman Klumpp & Xuejuan Su, 2010. "Open Access and Dynamic Efficiency," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 2(2), pages 64-96, May.
    24. Bresnahan, Timothy F & Reiss, Peter C, 1991. "Entry and Competition in Concentrated Markets," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 99(5), pages 977-1009, October.
    25. Distaso, Walter & Lupi, Paolo & Manenti, Fabio M., 2006. "Platform competition and broadband uptake: Theory and empirical evidence from the European union," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 87-106, March.
    26. Ingo Vogelsang, 2003. "Price Regulation of Access to Telecommunications Networks," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 41(3), pages 830-862, September.
    27. Manuel Arellano & Stephen Bond, 1991. "Some Tests of Specification for Panel Data: Monte Carlo Evidence and an Application to Employment Equations," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 58(2), pages 277-297.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bourreau, Marc & Grzybowski, Lukasz & Hasbi, Maude, 2019. "Unbundling the incumbent and deployment of high-speed internet: Evidence from France," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    2. Joan Calzada & Begoña García-Mariñoso & Jordi Ribé & Rafael Rubio & David Suárez, 2018. "Fiber deployment in Spain," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 53(3), pages 256-274, June.
    3. Maya Bacache & Marc Bourreau & Germain Gaudin, 2014. "Dynamic Entry and Investment in New Infrastructures: Empirical Evidence from the Fixed Broadband Industry," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 44(2), pages 179-209, March.
    4. Briglauer, Wolfgang & Gugler, Klaus & Haxhimusa, Adhurim, 2016. "Facility- and service-based competition and investment in fixed broadband networks: Lessons from a decade of access regulations in the European Union member states," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(8), pages 729-742.
    5. Naoaki Minamihashi, 2012. "Natural Monopoly and Distorted Competition: Evidence from Unbundling Fiber-Optic Networks," Staff Working Papers 12-26, Bank of Canada.
    6. Dogan, Pinar & Bourreau, Marc & Manant, Matthieu, 2010. "A Critical Review of the “Ladder of Investment†Approach," Scholarly Articles 4777447, Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
    7. Briglauer, Wolfgang, 2014. "The impact of regulation and competition on the migration from old to new communications infrastructure: Recent evidence from EU27 member states," ZEW Discussion Papers 14-085, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    8. Carlo Cambini & Laura Rondi, 2009. "Access Regulation, Financial Structure and Investment in Vertically Integrated Utilities:Evidence from EU Telecoms," RSCAS Working Papers 2009/68, European University Institute.
    9. Mirjam R. J. Lange, 2017. "Tariff diversity and competition policy: drivers for broadband adoption in the European Union," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 52(3), pages 285-312, December.
    10. Daniel Montolio & Elisa Trujillo, 2012. "What drives investment in telecommunications? The role of regulation, firms’ internationalization and market knowledge," Working Papers 2012/1, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    11. Garrone, Paola & Zaccagnino, Michele, 2015. "Seeking the links between competition and telecommunications investments," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 388-405.
    12. Hrovatin, Nevenka & Švigelj, Matej, 2013. "The interplay of regulation and other drivers of NGN deployment: A real-world perspective," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(10), pages 836-848.
    13. Briglauer, Wolfgang & Cambini, Carlo & Melani, Sauro, 2016. "How to Fill the Digital Gap? The (Limited) Role of Regulation," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145480, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    14. Klein, Gordon J. & Wendel, Julia, 2014. "The impact of local loop and retail unbundling," 20th ITS Biennial Conference, Rio de Janeiro 2014: The Net and the Internet - Emerging Markets and Policies 106845, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    15. Briglauer Wolfgang & Frübing Stefan & Vogelsang Ingo, 2014. "The Impact of Alternative Public Policies on the Deployment of New Communications Infrastructure – A Survey," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 13(3), pages 227-270, September.
    16. Calzada, Joan & Martínez-Santos, Fernando, 2014. "Broadband prices in the European Union: Competition and commercial strategies," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 24-38.
    17. Gregory L. Rosston & Scott J. Savage & Bradley S. Wimmer, 2018. "Price competition in the market for business telecommunications services," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 81-104, August.
    18. Harald Gruber & Pantelis Koutroumpis, 2013. "Competition enhancing regulation and diffusion of innovation: the case of broadband networks," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 168-195, April.
    19. Gruber, Harald & Koutroumpis, Pantelis, 2011. "Procompetitive infrastructure sector regulation and diffusion of innovation: The case of broadband networks," 22nd European Regional ITS Conference, Budapest 2011: Innovative ICT Applications - Emerging Regulatory, Economic and Policy Issues 52161, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    20. Paolo Piselli & Carla Scaglioni, 2014. "Regulation Performance and Investment in Telecommunications in the European Union: a policy evaluation approach," Working Papers Department of Economics 2014/19, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management, Department of Economics, Universidade de Lisboa.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    regulation; competition; entry; telecommunications; broadband; local loop unbundling;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • K23 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Regulated Industries and Administrative Law
    • L43 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Legal Monopolies and Regulation or Deregulation
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • L96 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Telecommunications

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:rtv:ceisrp:331. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    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 CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc 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 RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Barbara Piazzi (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/csrotit.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.