IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hal/journl/hal-01653797.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

What Level of Competition Intensity Maximises Investment in the Wireless Industry?

Author

Listed:
  • Georges Vivien Houngbonon

    (LGI - Laboratoire Génie Industriel - EA 2606 - CentraleSupélec)

  • François Jeanjean

    (Orange Labs - Orange Labs [Belfort] - France Télécom)

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between competition and investment in the wireless industry from a dynamic perspective. Using firm level data and instrumental variable estimation strategy, it finds that the relationship is inverted-U shaped. The investment maximising intensity of competition is reached when operators' gross profits represent 37 or 40 percent of their revenues, depending on whether capital expenditures are normalised by the number of subscribers. This finding means that investment increases with competition as long as operators' profits are above the thresholds of 37 or 40 percent of their revenues. Under these thresholds, there is a tradeoff between competition and investment. The paper also finds a significant long run effect of competition on investment which amplifies the short run effect by a factor of 3 to 4.

Suggested Citation

  • Georges Vivien Houngbonon & François Jeanjean, 2016. "What Level of Competition Intensity Maximises Investment in the Wireless Industry?," Post-Print hal-01653797, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01653797
    DOI: 10.1016/j.telpol.2016.04.001
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-01653797
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://hal.science/hal-01653797/document
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.telpol.2016.04.001?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. Johannes Van Biesebroeck & Aamir Hashmi, 2007. "Market Structure and Innovation: A Dynamic Analysis of the Global Automobile Industry," 2007 Meeting Papers 362, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    2. Hansen, Lars Peter, 1982. "Large Sample Properties of Generalized Method of Moments Estimators," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 50(4), pages 1029-1054, July.
    3. Jan Boone, 2000. "Competitive Pressure: The Effects on Investments in Product and Process Innovation," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 31(3), pages 549-569, Autumn.
    4. Wilfried Sand-Zantman & Jérôme Mathis, 2014. "Competition and Investment: What do we know from the literature?," Working Papers hal-02316767, HAL.
    5. Paul Belleflamme & Cecilia Vergari, 2011. "Incentives To Innovate In Oligopolies," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 79(1), pages 6-28, January.
    6. Christos Genakos & Tommaso Valletti & Frank Verboven, 2018. "Evaluating market consolidation in mobile communications," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 33(93), pages 45-100.
    7. Cambini, Carlo & Jiang, Yanyan, 0. "Broadband investment and regulation: A literature review," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(10-11), pages 559-574, November.
    8. Kamien, Morton I & Schwartz, Nancy L, 1975. "Market Structure and Innovation: A Survey," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 13(1), pages 1-37, March.
    9. Jan Boone, 2008. "A New Way to Measure Competition," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 118(531), pages 1245-1261, August.
    10. Christopher F Baum & Mark E. Schaffer & Steven Stillman, 2007. "Enhanced routines for instrumental variables/generalized method of moments estimation and testing," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 7(4), pages 465-506, December.
    11. Pilar Beneito & Paz Coscollá-Girona & María Engracia Rochina-Barrachina & Amparo Sanchis, 2015. "Competitive Pressure and Innovation at the Firm Level," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(3), pages 422-457, September.
    12. Stephen Bond, 2002. "Dynamic panel data models: a guide to microdata methods and practice," CeMMAP working papers CWP09/02, Centre for Microdata Methods and Practice, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    13. Jean Tirole, 1988. "The Theory of Industrial Organization," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262200716, December.
    14. Schmutzler, Armin, 2013. "Competition and investment — A unified approach," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 31(5), pages 477-487.
    15. Lestage, Romain & Flacher, David & Kim, Yeonbae & Kim, Jihwan & Kim, Yunhee, 2013. "Competition and investment in telecommunications: Does competition have the same impact on investment by private and state-owned firms?," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 41-50.
    16. Philippe Aghion & Nick Bloom & Richard Blundell & Rachel Griffith & Peter Howitt, 2005. "Competition and Innovation: an Inverted-U Relationship," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 120(2), pages 701-728.
    17. Garrone, Paola & Zaccagnino, Michele, 2015. "Seeking the links between competition and telecommunications investments," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 388-405.
    18. Kraft, Kornelius, 1989. "Market Structure, Firm Characteristics and Innovative Activity," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(3), pages 329-336, March.
    19. 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.
    20. Aamir Rafique Hashmi & Johannes Van Biesebroeck, 2016. "The Relationship between Market Structure and Innovation in Industry Equilibrium: A Case Study of the Global Automobile Industry," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 98(1), pages 192-208, March.
    21. Xavier Vives, 2008. "Innovation And Competitive Pressure," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(3), pages 419-469, December.
    22. Jan Boone, 2008. "A New Way to Measure Competition," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 118(531), pages 1245-1261, August.
    23. Kang, Fei & Hauge, Janice A. & Lu, Ting-Jie, 2012. "Competition and mobile network investment in China’s telecommunications industry," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 901-913.
    24. Kenneth Arrow, 1962. "Economic Welfare and the Allocation of Resources for Invention," NBER Chapters, in: The Rate and Direction of Inventive Activity: Economic and Social Factors, pages 609-626, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    25. Stephen R. Bond, 2002. "Dynamic panel data models: a guide to micro data methods and practice," Portuguese Economic Journal, Springer;Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, vol. 1(2), pages 141-162, August.
    26. James H. Stock & Motohiro Yogo, 2002. "Testing for Weak Instruments in Linear IV Regression," NBER Technical Working Papers 0284, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    27. 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.
    28. Oecd, 2014. "Wireless Market Structures and Network Sharing," OECD Digital Economy Papers 243, OECD Publishing.
    29. Gilbert, Richard J & Newbery, David M G, 1982. "Preemptive Patenting and the Persistence of Monopoly," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 72(3), pages 514-526, June.
    30. Nickell, Stephen J, 1996. "Competition and Corporate Performance," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 104(4), pages 724-746, August.
    31. Nickell, Stephen J, 1981. "Biases in Dynamic Models with Fixed Effects," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 49(6), pages 1417-1426, November.
    32. Tang, Jianmin, 2006. "Competition and innovation behaviour," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 68-82, February.
    33. François Jeanjean, 2015. "What causes the megabyte price drop in the mobile industry?," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 42(3), pages 277-296, September.
    34. Richard Blundell & Rachel Griffith & John van Reenen, 1999. "Market Share, Market Value and Innovation in a Panel of British Manufacturing Firms," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 66(3), pages 529-554.
    35. Sacco, Dario & Schmutzler, Armin, 2011. "Is there a U-shaped relation between competition and investment?," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 65-73, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. François Jeanjean, 2021. "Impact of Technical Progress on the Relationship Between Competition and Investment," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 81-101, March.
    2. Ivaldi, Marc & Aimene, Louise & Guiffard, Jean-Baptiste & Liang, Julienne, 2023. "Welfare Cost of Mobile Spectrum (Mis)allocation," CEPR Discussion Papers 18016, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    3. Ganguly, Madhuparna, 2021. "Competition and Innovation: the effects of scientist mobility and stronger patent rights," MPRA Paper 107831, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Lefouili, Yassine & Madio, Leonardo, 2023. "Market Structure and Investments : A Progress Report," TSE Working Papers 23-1491, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE), revised Mar 2024.
    5. Bahia, Kalvin & Castells, Pau, 2022. "The dynamic effects of competition on investment: the case of the European mobile communications industry," 31st European Regional ITS Conference, Gothenburg 2022: Reining in Digital Platforms? Challenging monopolies, promoting competition and developing regulatory regimes 265614, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    6. Houngbonon, Georges Vivien & Ivaldi, Marc & Palikot, Emil & Strusani, Davide, 2023. "The Impact of Shared Telecom Infrastructure on Digital Connectivity and Inclusion," TSE Working Papers 23-1427, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    7. Berne, Michel & Vialle, Pierre & Whalley, Jason, 2016. "Is competition just a question of numbers? An analysis of the impact of the entry of Free Mobile into the French mobile telecommunications market," 27th European Regional ITS Conference, Cambridge (UK) 2016 148659, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    8. Jeanjean, François & Houngbonon, Georges Vivien, 2016. "Optimal Market Structure in the Mobile Industry," 27th European Regional ITS Conference, Cambridge (UK) 2016 148678, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    9. Paulo Chahuara, 2020. "Análisis Empírico de la Relación entre Competencia e Inversión en el Servicio de Telefonía Móvil Peruano," Documentos de Trabajo 42, OSIPTEL.
    10. Georges V. Houngbonon & Francois Jeanjean, 2019. "Investment and market power in mobile mergers," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 46(1), pages 65-81, March.
    11. Ciriani, Stephane & Jeanjean, Francois, 2019. "Competition, technological change and productivity gains: the contribution of information technologies," 30th European Regional ITS Conference, Helsinki 2019 205175, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    12. Houngbonon, Georges V. & Ivaldi, Marc & Palikot, Emil & Strusani, Davide, 2023. "The Impact of Shared Telecom Infrastructure on Digital Connectivity and Inclusion," 32nd European Regional ITS Conference, Madrid 2023: Realising the digital decade in the European Union – Easier said than done? 277970, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    13. Liang Wang & Qiming Sun, 2022. "Market Competition, Infrastructure Sharing, and Network Investment in China’s Mobile Telecommunications Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-17, March.
    14. Bahia, Kalvin & Castells, Pau & Pedrós, Xavier, 2019. "The impact of mobile technology on economic growth: global insights from 2000-2017 developments," 30th European Regional ITS Conference, Helsinki 2019 205164, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    15. Abrar Ali Saiyed & Stephanie A. Fernhaber & Rakesh Basant & Karthik Dhandapani, 2021. "The internationalization of new ventures in an emerging economy: The shifting role of industry concentration," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 38(4), pages 1467-1497, December.
    16. Aimene, Louise & Jeanjean, François & Liang, Julienne, 2021. "Impact of mobile operator consolidation on unit prices," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(4).
    17. Jeanjean, François & Liang, Julienne, 2023. "Market structure and performance in mobile markets. The example of Europe," 32nd European Regional ITS Conference, Madrid 2023: Realising the digital decade in the European Union – Easier said than done? 277979, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    18. Woroch, Glenn A, 2020. "Spectrum Concentration and Performance of the U.S. Wireless Industry," Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt8vv381jt, Department of Economics, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley.
    19. Glenn A. Woroch, 2020. "Spectrum Concentration and Performance of the U.S. Wireless Industry," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 56(1), pages 73-105, February.
    20. Stéphane Ciriani & François Jeanjean, 2020. "Competition, Technological Change and Productivity Gains: A Sectoral Analysis," Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics;Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), vol. 55(3), pages 192-198, May.
    21. Wellmann, Nicolas, 2019. "Hello . . . Are You Still There? An Empirical Analysis How Market Structure Affects Quality of Mobile Networks," VfS Annual Conference 2019 (Leipzig): 30 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall - Democracy and Market Economy 203579, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    22. Aimene, Louise & Jeanjean, Francois & Liang, Julienne, 2019. "Impact of mobile operators consolidation on unitary price," 30th European Regional ITS Conference, Helsinki 2019 205161, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).

    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. Jeanjean, François & Houngbonon, Georges Vivien, 2017. "Market structure and investment in the mobile industry," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 12-22.
    2. Houngbonon, Georges Vivien & Jeanjean, Francois, 2014. "Is there a level of competition intensity that maximizes investment in the mobile telecommunications industry?," 25th European Regional ITS Conference, Brussels 2014 101384, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    3. Muhammad Zeeshan Younas & Muhammad Iftikhar Husnain, 2022. "Role of market structure in firm-level innovation: an extended CDM model for a developing economy," DECISION: Official Journal of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Springer;Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, vol. 49(1), pages 91-104, March.
    4. Lefouili, Yassine & Madio, Leonardo, 2023. "Market Structure and Investments : A Progress Report," TSE Working Papers 23-1491, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE), revised Mar 2024.
    5. Rut Atayde & Rafael Garduño & Eduardo Robles & Pluvia Zúñiga, 2021. "Market competition and firm productivity and innovation: Responses in Mexican manufacturing industries," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(4), pages 1185-1214, August.
    6. Liang Wang & Qiming Sun, 2022. "Market Competition, Infrastructure Sharing, and Network Investment in China’s Mobile Telecommunications Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-17, March.
    7. Michael Peneder & Martin Woerter, 2014. "Competition, R&D and innovation: testing the inverted-U in a simultaneous system," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 653-687, July.
    8. Wolfgang Briglauer, 2015. "How EU sector-specific regulations and competition affect migration from old to new communications infrastructure: recent evidence from EU27 member states," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 48(2), pages 194-217, October.
    9. Paulo Chahuara, 2020. "Análisis Empírico de la Relación entre Competencia e Inversión en el Servicio de Telefonía Móvil Peruano," Documentos de Trabajo 42, OSIPTEL.
    10. Philippe Aghion & Stefan Bechtold & Lea Cassar & Holger Herz, 2018. "The Causal Effects of Competition on Innovation: Experimental Evidence," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 34(2), pages 162-195.
    11. 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.
    12. Tobias Stucki & Martin Woerter, 2019. "Competitive Pressure and Diversification into Green R&D," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 55(2), pages 301-325, September.
    13. Tishler, Asher & Milstein, Irena, 2009. "R&D wars and the effects of innovation on the success and survivability of firms in oligopoly markets," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 519-531, July.
    14. Carl Shapiro, 2011. "Competition and Innovation: Did Arrow Hit the Bull's Eye?," NBER Chapters, in: The Rate and Direction of Inventive Activity Revisited, pages 361-404, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. Roberto Alvarez & Rolando Campusano, 2014. "Does Competition Spur Innovation in Developing Countries?," Working Papers wp388, University of Chile, Department of Economics.
    16. François Jeanjean, 2021. "Impact of Technical Progress on the Relationship Between Competition and Investment," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 81-101, March.
    17. Jeanjean, François & Houngbonon, Georges Vivien, 2015. "Optimal Number of Firms in the Wireless Markets," 26th European Regional ITS Conference, Madrid 2015 127153, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    18. Ghosh, Arghya & Kato, Takao & Morita, Hodaka, 2017. "Incremental innovation and competitive pressure in the presence of discrete innovation," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 1-14.
    19. Benavente, Jose Miguel & Zuniga, Pluvia, 2021. "How does market competition affect firm innovation incentives in emerging countries? Evidence from Latin American firms," MERIT Working Papers 2021-024, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    20. Gupta, Kartick & Banerjee, Rajabrata & Onur, Ilke, 2017. "The effects of R&D and competition on firm value: International evidence," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 391-404.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Mobile Telecommunications; Investment; Competition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L40 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - General

    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:hal:journl:hal-01653797. 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: CCSD (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ .

    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.