Networks in Telecommunications
Economics and Law

Networks in Telecommunications presents an integrated analysis of the economics and law of communications networks.

Daniel F. Spulber (Author), Christopher S. Yoo (Author)

9780521673860, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 8 June 2009

510 pages, 57 b/w illus. 1 table
25.5 x 17.8 x 2.7 cm, 0.9 kg

'In the light of technological convergence and the emergence of facility-based competition their arguments constitute an important challenge to other economic theories supporting regulation in this industry.' Giuseppe De Feo, Telecommunications Policy

Networks in Telecommunications addresses fundamental issues in discussions of regulatory policy by offering an integrated framework for understanding the economics and law of networks. It extends theories on network design associated with the mathematics of graph theory, which provides insights into the complex, systemic interrelationship between network components. It also applies the principles of transaction cost economics to analyze decisions about the appropriate boundaries of proprietary network architecture. The book introduces network theory to the study of the economics and law of telecommunications. The discussion opens up the black box of the cost function in telecommunications. The analysis also goes beyond the 'network externalities' approach that focuses primarily on the size of networks. The book highlights the effects of network architecture and the tradeoffs inherent in network design.

Introduction
Part I. The Economics of Networks: 1. The structure and functions of networks
2. The design and costs of networks
3. Pricing network services
Part II. The Regulation of Networks: 4. Network regulation basics
5. Economic effects of regulating access to networks
6. Pricing of access to networks
7. Constitutional limits on the pricing of access to networks
Part III. Policy Applications: 8. The regulation of local telephone networks
9. Antitrust as applied to network industries
10. The regulation of last-mile broadband networks
11. The regulation of broadband networks and the internet: network neutrality versus network diversity
12. The regulation of broadband networks and the internet: network neutrality versus network capacity
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: International communications & telecommunications law [LBDT], Economics [KC]