Increasing numbers of countries require mobile telephone networks to offer mobile number portability (MNP). MNP allows customers who wish to switch mobile operator to keep their mobile numbers, avoiding the costs of switching to new numbers. Ex ante assessments suggest that MNP should reduce switching costs and strengthen competition. In this paper, we test MNP’s impact on market outcomes using international time-series cross-section data. We find that MNP significantly increases average mobile telephony retail prices and churn (a proxy for switching).
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Paper provided by Trinity College Dublin, Department of Economics in its series Trinity Economics Papers with number
tep2009.
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Find related papers by JEL classification: L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation L96 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Telecommunications
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References listed on IDEAS Please 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.:
Stefan Buehler & Justus Haucap, 2003.
"Mobile Number Portability,"
Working Papers
0303, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Jul 2003.
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