Die Liberalisierung des deutschen Telekommunikationsmarktes: Zukünftige Regulierungserfordernisse im Lichte bisheriger Erfahrungen

This economic policy forum focuses on the liberalisation of the German telecommunication market. In view of former experiences future regulation requirements are discussed. Günter Knieps stresses that the problem of market power is central for answering the question of future division of labour between sector-specific regulations and the application of the competition law. Net-specific market power is only expected in monopolistic bottlenecks characterised by irreversible costs so that sector-specific regulations should be exclusively restricted to these monopolistic bottlenecks. Knieps aims at establishing service as well as infrastructural competition in competitive telecommunication markets. He argues that the telecommunication markets should not be distorted by regulations. Another aspect of Knieps’ article is the question how the mobile telecommunication market should be regulated. He examines whether the mobile telecommunication markets are characterised by monopolistic bottlenecks. However, Knieps does not find evidence for the existence of the latter. Finally, the author concludes that slimy regulations of net-specific market power is necessary to use all advantages provided by liberalised telecommunication markets. Therefore, the concept of “essential facility” should be employed.