In the United States and elsewhere, traditional sources of television programming (or "pay TV") are facing rising competition from bypass or over-the-top ("OTT") alternatives in the form of streamed or downloaded access to video content. As a result, consumers of video content now fall into...

The concept of "universal service obligation" (USO) has been around for decades; however, its definition continues to change. The notion that the last mile of fixed-line access should be subsidized has spread around the world, despite well reasoned arguments and empirical evidence that the...

In the mid-1980s a movement towards privatization and de-regulation of the telecommunications sector was begun. The sector has been privatized in most countries and subjected to regulatory reform. The major reform occurred in the late 1990s. Since then the internet and cellular-mobile industries...

Regulation is presumed to be designed to avoid (potential) market failures,usually because of firms' market power, the consequence of which leads to a decrease in economic welfare. However, the cost of regulation may outweigh any effects policy makers have on the firm due to administrative...

Investment in infrastructure such as the information and communication technology sector requires large, substantial amounts, most of which are sunk or irreversible. Uncertainty of market demand, competition, costs and public policy complicates the investment decision process. This paper...

Developing countries lack effective infrastructure: transportation, telecommunications, financial systems, etc. The positive economic impact of the improved telecommunications infrastructure has been demonstrated. The ability of microfinance has been shown to stimulate and enhance economic...

The goals of the Digital Agenda for Europe are far from being achieved, and the measures taken so far have not proven to be sufficiently effective in order to attain European infrastructure and investment targets in a timely manner. Without adequate investment in telecommunications...

The law of net neutrality has been in effect in the Netherlands since January 1, 2013, after having been passed on June 5, 2011 by the Lower House of the Dutch Parliament and then ratified by the Upper House a year later. This paper investigates the policy, its process, and its impact. It offers...

In this paper we advance the idea that optimal risk management under the Basel II Accord will typically require the use of a combination of different models of risk. This idea is illustrated by analyzing the best empirical models of risk for five stock indexes before, during, and after the...