IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jindec/v48y2000i4p433-472.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Connectivity in the Commercial Internet

Author

Listed:
  • Jacques Crémer
  • Patrick Rey
  • Jean Tirole

Abstract

We study the ‘backbone market’ in the Internet. After discussing the structure of the Internet, we use an extension of the Katz‐Shapiro network model to analyze the strategies that would be used by dominant backbone. We show that a larger backbone prefers a lower quality interconnection than the smaller one. We then analyze a ‘targeted degradation’ strategy where the larger backbone lowers the quality of interconnection to its smaller rivals in turn. Finally, we show that the qualitative results are robust to the possibility of ‘multihoming’ by clients.

Suggested Citation

  • Jacques Crémer & Patrick Rey & Jean Tirole, 2000. "Connectivity in the Commercial Internet," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(4), pages 433-472, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jindec:v:48:y:2000:i:4:p:433-472
    DOI: 10.1111/1467-6451.00132
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6451.00132
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/1467-6451.00132?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jean Tirole, 1988. "The Theory of Industrial Organization," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262200716, December.
    2. Joseph Farrell & Garth Saloner, 1985. "Standardization, Compatibility, and Innovation," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 16(1), pages 70-83, Spring.
    3. Jaskold Gabszewicz, J. & Thisse, J. -F., 1979. "Price competition, quality and income disparities," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 340-359, June.
    4. Jeffrey Rohlfs, 1974. "A Theory of Interdependent Demand for a Communications Service," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 5(1), pages 16-37, Spring.
    5. Stephen W. Salant & Sheldon Switzer & Robert J. Reynolds, 1983. "Losses From Horizontal Merger: The Effects of an Exogenous Change in Industry Structure on Cournot-Nash Equilibrium," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 98(2), pages 185-199.
    6. Katz, Michael L & Shapiro, Carl, 1985. "Network Externalities, Competition, and Compatibility," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(3), pages 424-440, June.
    7. Shenker, Scott & Clark, David & Estrin, Deborah & Herzog, Shai, 1996. "Pricing in computer networks: Reshaping the research agenda," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 183-201, April.
    8. Avner Shaked & John Sutton, 1982. "Relaxing Price Competition Through Product Differentiation," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 49(1), pages 3-13.
    9. Innes, Robert & Sexton, Richard J., 1993. "Customer coalitions, monopoly price discrimination and generic entry deterrence," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 37(8), pages 1569-1597, December.
    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. Nicholas Economides, 1997. "The Economics of Networks," Brazilian Electronic Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, vol. 1(0), December.
    2. Belleflamme,Paul & Peitz,Martin, 2015. "Industrial Organization," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107687899, November.
    3. Etro, Federico, 2016. "Research in economics and industrial organization," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(4), pages 511-517.
    4. Jing Wu & He Li & Zhangxi Lin & Haichao Zheng, 2017. "Competition in wearable device market: the effect of network externality and product compatibility," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 335-359, September.
    5. Klaus CONRAD, 2005. "Price Competition and Product Differentiation when Goods have Network Effects," Industrial Organization 0502002, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Luca Lambertini & Raimondello Orsini, 2005. "The Existence Of Equilibrium In A Differentiated Duopoly With Network Externalities," The Japanese Economic Review, Japanese Economic Association, vol. 56(1), pages 55-66, March.
    7. Corrado Benassi & Marcella Scrimitore, 2017. "Income Distribution in Network Markets," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 251-271, September.
    8. Matutes, Carmen & Regibeau, Pierre, 1996. "A selective review of the economics of standardization. Entry deterrence, technological progress and international competition," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 183-209, September.
    9. de Palma, Andre & Leruth, Luc & Regibeau, Pierre, 1999. "Partial compatibility with network externalities and double purchase," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 11(2), pages 209-227, July.
    10. Ming-Chung Chang & Jin-Li Hu & Mei-Yu Lee, 2012. "Economic And Environmental Effects Of Refill Packs," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(4), pages 581-592, October.
    11. Jing, Bing, 2007. "Network externalities and market segmentation in a monopoly," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 95(1), pages 7-13, April.
    12. Zemsky, Peter & Adner, Ron, 2003. "Disruptive Technologies and the Emergence of Competition," CEPR Discussion Papers 3994, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    13. George Deltas & Thanasis Stengos & Eleftherios Zacharias, 2011. "Product line pricing in a vertically differentiated oligopoly," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 44(3), pages 907-929, August.
    14. Padrón Fumero, Noemi & Moraga-González, José Luis, 1996. "Polution linked to consumption: a study of policy instruments in an environmental differentiated oligopoly," UC3M Working papers. Economics 4134, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Economía.
    15. Emanuele Bacchiega & Antonio Minniti & Arsen Palestini, 2016. "Quality, distance and trade: A strategic approach," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 95, pages 165-191, March.
    16. Netsanet Haile & Jörn Altmann, 2016. "Structural analysis of value creation in software service platforms," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 26(2), pages 129-142, May.
    17. Bos, Iwan & Marini, Marco A., 2019. "Cartel stability under quality differentiation," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 70-73.
    18. Esteve-Perez, Silviano, 2005. "Exit with vertical product differentiation," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 23(3-4), pages 227-247, April.
    19. Yuanzhu Lu & Sougata Poddar, 2015. "Strategic Choice of Network Externality," Working Papers 2015-03, Auckland University of Technology, Department of Economics.
    20. Erik Gronqvist & Douglas Lundin, 2009. "Incentives for clinical trials," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(5), pages 513-531.

    More about this item

    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:bla:jindec:v:48:y:2000:i:4:p:433-472. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0022-1821 .

    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.