The mobile telecommunications industry is one of the most rapidly growing sectors around the world. This book offers a comprehensive economic analysis of the main determinants of growth in the industry. Harald Gruber demonstrates the importance of competitive entry and the setting of technological standards, both of which play a central role in their contribution to the fast diffusion of technology. Detailed country studies provide empirical evidence for the development of the main themes: the diffusion of mobile telecommunications services, the pricing policies in network industries, the role of entry barriers such as radio spectrum and spectrum allocation procedures. This research-based survey will appeal to a wide range of applied industrial economists within universities, government and the industry itself.
Editorial Reviews
Review
‘This book is a valuable contribution to increasing the understanding of the development of mobile communications. It will be a useful reference for policy makers, industry players, academics and anyone interested in the economic underpinnings of the pervasive mobile phenomenon.’ Sam Paltridge, Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry, OECD
‘Harald Gruber has combined economic theory and empirical evidence with real-world telecom know-how to produce an outstanding book. This is the first authoritative and comprehensive study of mobile telephony. It deserves to be widely read by scholars and business people with an interest in this exciting industry.’ Tommaso M. Valletti, Tanaka Business School, Imperial College London
‘Technological changes in the telecommunications sector have made feasible a transition from a policy of regulating monopoly to one of regulating competition, through allocation of property rights in the spectrum, as a policy to obtain good market performance. Mobile telecommunications is on the frontier of this transition, and The Economics of Mobile Telecommunications documents and analyzes the technological and institutional factors that determine performance in this industry. It will be an invaluable contribution to the literature.’ Stephen Martin, Krannert School of Management, Purdue University
‘Over the last twenty years mobile telecommunications have become an integral part of everyday life. In this thoughtful contribution Harald Gruber provides an invaluable resource examining the economics of the sector. Spectrum auctions, the regulation of termination rates, the conduct of mobile network operators, and the evolution of market structures are all covered clearly, accompanied by an accessible treatment of technical issues. This book should appeal to a wide audience, from researchers interested in industrial organisation to policy makers involved in regulation and competition policy issues.’ Chris Doyle, Warwick Business School
Book Description
Comprehensive economic analysis of the main determinants of growth in the mobile telecommunications industry.
About the Author
Harald Gruber is Deputy Economic Advisor at the European Investment Bank, Luxembourg where he is responsible for project appraisal and sector studies in the information and telecommunications sectors. He has published extensively in refereed economics and industrial organisation journals and is author of Learning and Strategic Product Innovation: Theory and Evidence for the Semiconductor Industry (1994).
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