Measuring Network Effects in Mobile Telecommunications Markets with Stated‐Preference Valuation Methods

This paper demonstrates how stated-preference methods can be applied to modeling consumers' preferences in the field of mobile telecommunications, and to measuring and the valuation of network effects. We illustrate this with a case study of mobile phone operators in Poland. We utilize the Choice Experiment method and present the respondents with hypothetical choices of mobile phone operators, while explicitly controlling for network effects in the form of other users in the same network. Based on the hypothetical choices consumers make we construct a conditional random parameters multinomial logit model to analyze their preferences. This approach allows us to calculate welfare effects associated with alternatives, as well as marginal rates of substitution (and hence implicit prices) of the attributes used to describe the choices, such as operator brand and distribution of family and friends between available mobile networks. The latter constitutes a network effect as consumer's utility is influenced by the number (or ratio) of members of his or her family, friends and other users subscribed to the same operator. Our results confirm the existence of a strong network effect, which is related to the size of the social network group a particular subscriber belongs to, rather than the absolute size of the mobile operator's customer base. We observe that there are two sources of this 'gross' network effect - pecuniary (arising from possible price discounts for on-net calls) and non-pecuniary, and demonstrate a way to disaggregate them. In addition, we find that brand perception and brand loyalty are important determinants of operator choice. Finally, through the application of a non-market valuation method we are able to calculate monetary values of the network effect and brand loyalty, and both turn out to be relatively high. The results might be of a particular interest to mobile phone operators and regulatory authorities - we find that the capacity for vigorous price competition between mobile operators is limited due to significant non-price barriers which mitigate subscribers' mobility in the market. We demonstrate a way to measure these effects in monetary terms based on modeling of consumer preferences. --Network effects,mobile telecommunications,brand valuation,stated preference methods,non-market valuation methods,choice experiment,multinomial conditional logit model,preference heterogeneity,random parameters model

Applications of satellite technology to broadband ISDN networks

Two satellite architectures for delivering broadband integrated services digital network (B-ISDN) service are evaluated. The first is assumed integral to an existing terrestrial network, and provides complementary services such as interconnects to remote nodes as well as high-rate multicast and broadcast service. The interconnects are at a 155 Mbs rate and are shown as being met with a nonregenerative multibeam satellite having 10-1.5 degree spots. The second satellite architecture focuses on providing private B-ISDN networks as well as acting as a gateway to the public network. This is conceived as being provided by a regenerative multibeam satellite with on-board ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) processing payload. With up to 800 Mbs offered, higher satellite EIRP is required. This is accomplished with 12-0.4 degree hopping beams, covering a total of 110 dwell positions. It is estimated the space segment capital cost for architecture one would be about $190M whereas the second architecture would be about$250M. The net user cost is given for a variety of scenarios, but the cost for 155 Mbs services is shown to be about $15-22/minute for 25 percent system utilization

Overview of UMTS network evolution through radio and transmission feature validation

This project is based on several UMTS network feature validation with the aim to provide an end-to-end in-depth knowledge overview gained in parallel in the areas of radio network mobility processes (cell camping and inter-system handover), Quality of Service improvement for HSPA data users and transport network evolution towards the All-IP era.Hardware and software validation is a key step in the relationship between the mobile network operator and the vendor. Through this verification process, while executing that functionality or testing a specific hardware, the difference between the actual result and expected result can be better understood and, in turn, this in-depth knowledge acquisition is translated into a tailored usage of the product in the operator’s live network. As a result, validation helps in building a better product as per the customer’s requirement and helps satisfying their needs, which positively impacts in the future evolution of the vendor product roadmap implementation process for a specific customer. This project is based on several Universal Mobile Telecommunication Services (UMTS) network feature validation with the aim to provide an end-to-end in-depth knowledge overview gained in parallel in the areas of radio network mobility processes (cell camping and inter-system handover), Quality of Service improvement for High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSPA) data users and transport network evolution towards the All-IP era.Las campañas de validación hardware y software son un paso clave en las relaciones comerciales establecidas entre un operador de telecomunicaciones y su proveedor de equipos de red. Durante los procesos de certificación, mientras se ejecuta una funcionalidad software o se valida un determinado hardware, se obtiene un conocimiento profundo de la diferencia entre el resultado obtenido y el esperado, repercutiendo directamente en un uso a medida de dicha funcionalidad o hardware en la propia red del cliente. Como consecuencia de lo anterior, podemos aseverar que los procesos de validación permiten en gran medida al proveedor adaptarse mejor a los requerimientos del cliente, ayudando a satisfacer realmente sus necesidades. Esto implica directamente un impacto positivo en la futura evolución del portfolio que el fabricante ofrece a un determinado cliente. Este proyecto está basado en la validación de diferentes funcionalidades de red UMTS, cuyo objetivo es proporcionar un conocimiento global de distintos aspectos que conforman el funcionamiento de una red de telecomunicaciones 3G, como son los procesos de movilidad de acceso radio (acampado de red y handover inter-sistema), las mejoras en la calidad de servicio para usuarios de datos HSPA y la convergencia de la red de transporte hacia la era IP.Els processos de validació hardware i software són un punt clau en les relacions comercials establertes entre un operador de telecomunicaciones i el proveïdor d'equipament de la xarxa. En el transcurs dels processos de certificació, a la mateixa vegada que s'executa una funcionalitat software o es valida un determinat hardware, s'obtenen grans coneixements respecte la diferència entre el resultat obtingut i l'esperat, que són d'aplicació directa a l'hora d'establir un ús adpatat a la xarxa del client. En conseqüència, podem asseverar que les campanyes de validació permeten en gran mesura al proveïdor adaptar-se millor als requeriments del client, ajudant a satisfer realment les seves necessitats. Això implica directament un impacte positiu en la futura evol.lució del portfoli que el fabricant ofereix a un determinat client. Aquest projecte es basa en la presentació d'un procès de validació de diferents funcionalitats relacionades amb la xarxa UMTS, amb l'objectiu de proporcionar un coneixement global de la varietat d'aspectes que conformen el funcionament d'una xarxa de telecomunicacions 3G, com són els processos de mobilitat en accès radio (acampat de l'usuari i handover inter-sistema), millores en la qualitat de servei per a usuaris de dades HSPA i la convergència de la xarxa de transport cap a l'era IP

Deployment of PON in Europe and Deep Data Analysis of GPON

This chapter discusses the extensibility of fiber to the x (FTTx) households, specifically in the territory of the European Union. The Czech Republic has made a commitment to other member states to provide connectivity of at least 100 Mbit/s for half of the households by 2020. Although Internet access in the Czech Republic is mostly dominated by wireless fidelity (WiFi), this technology is not capable of meeting the demanding current demands at a reasonable price. As a result, passive optical networks are on the rise in access networks and in mobile cell networks by fiber to the antenna (FTTA). Passive optical networks use much more complex networks. In cooperation with Orange Slovakia, the analysis of the transmitted data was conducted. The optical network unit management and control interface (OMCI) channel data, as well as the activation data associated with specific end units, were analyzed. We propose a complete analysis of the end-unit-related activation process, download, and initialization of the data image for setting the end units and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) parameters. Finally, we performed an analysis of the transmission of dying gasp messages

ZETA - Zero-Trust Authentication: Relying on Innate Human Ability, not Technology

Reliable authentication requires the devices and channels involved in the process to be trustworthy; otherwise authentication secrets can easily be compromised. Given the unceasing efforts of attackers worldwide such trustworthiness is increasingly not a given. A variety of technical solutions, such as utilising multiple devices/channels and verification protocols, has the potential to mitigate the threat of untrusted communications to a certain extent. Yet such technical solutions make two assumptions: (1) users have access to multiple devices and (2) attackers will not resort to hacking the human, using social engineering techniques. In this paper, we propose and explore the potential of using human-based computation instead of solely technical solutions to mitigate the threat of untrusted devices and channels. ZeTA (Zero Trust Authentication on untrusted channels) has the potential to allow people to authenticate despite compromised channels or communications and easily observed usage. Our contributions are threefold: (1) We propose the ZeTA protocol with a formal definition and security analysis that utilises semantics and human-based computation to ameliorate the problem of untrusted devices and channels. (2) We outline a security analysis to assess the envisaged performance of the proposed authentication protocol. (3) We report on a usability study that explores the viability of relying on human computation in this context

Technology as an economic catalyst in rural and depressed places in Massachusetts

This paper uses case studies, including two cities (Lynn and New Bedford), a sub-city district (Roxbury) and two towns in rural Franklin County (Greenfield and Orange), to examine the role of technology as a potential economic catalyst in rural and depressed places in Massachusetts. Though the five target areas vary in size, density, geographic area, demographic characteristics and economic resources, each exhibits chronic patterns of economic distress related to the decline of manufacturing, construction and other key industries

Nucleases and histone acetyltransferases in DNA repair and immune diversity

DNA repair mechanisms are essential for genome maintenance and adaptive immunity. A careful balance must be achieved whereby highly accurate and efficient canonical repair protects the genome from accumulating mutations that lead to aging and cancer, and yet mutation and error-prone non-canonical repair is required for generating immune diversity. Immune diversity is achieved within a tightly regulated environment in which mutator proteins are directed to the antibody locus to introduce a swathe of DNA damage. This produces high affinity antibodies that recognise an infinite number of invading pathogens. This process of secondary antibody diversification is dependent on both active transcription and DNA repair. Downstream of histone signalling, DNA repair nucleases are recruited to remove the damaged bases. The structure of damaged regions in the DNA can have very different conformations depending on whether the source of the damage is endogenous or exogenous. Specific DNA nucleases recognise particular DNA substrates and generate DNA intermediates that are repaired in conjunction with polymerases and ligases. Despite their multitude and importance to DNA repair, very few nucleases have been characterised, while the activities of some studied nucleases remain controversial. Conventional techniques for studying DNA nucleases have several disadvantages; they are hazardous, laborious, time-consuming, and capture nuclease activity in a discontinuous manner. Recognising a need for a safer, faster alternative, a fluorescence-based method has been developed for the study of DNA nucleases, nickases and polymerases. Key histone modifications that are known to orchestrate canonical DNA repair have since been discovered to regulate non-canonical repair at the antibody locus. The Kat5 histone lysine acetyltransferase functions highly upstream of DNA repair and promotes active transcription, yet a role for Kat5 in secondary antibody diversification has not yet been established. Using chemical inhibitors to prevent the catalytic activities of Kat5, and the genetic method of an inducible degron system for rapid and reversible downregulation of Kat5, a role for Kat5 in secondary antibody diversification is recognised, and the research contributes to our current understanding of the DNA repair signal transduction pathway

Quality-of-service management in IP networks

Quality of Service (QoS) in Internet Protocol (IF) Networks has been the subject of active research over the past two decades. Integrated Services (IntServ) and Differentiated Services (DiffServ) QoS architectures have emerged as proposed standards for resource allocation in IF Networks. These two QoS architectures support the need for multiple traffic queuing systems to allow for resource partitioning for heterogeneous applications making use of the networks. There have been a number of specifications or proposals for the number of traffic queuing classes (Class of Service (CoS)) that will support integrated services in IF Networks, but none has provided verification in the form of analytical or empirical investigation to prove that its specification or proposal will be optimum. Despite the existence of the two standard QoS architectures and the large volume of research work that has been carried out on IF QoS, its deployment still remains elusive in the Internet. This is not unconnected with the complexities associated with some aspects of the standard QoS architectures. [Continues.

Boolean Delay Equations: A simple way of looking at complex systems

Boolean Delay Equations (BDEs) are semi-discrete dynamical models with Boolean-valued variables that evolve in continuous time. Systems of BDEs can be classified into conservative or dissipative, in a manner that parallels the classification of ordinary or partial differential equations. Solutions to certain conservative BDEs exhibit growth of complexity in time. They represent therewith metaphors for biological evolution or human history. Dissipative BDEs are structurally stable and exhibit multiple equilibria and limit cycles, as well as more complex, fractal solution sets, such as Devil's staircases and ``fractal sunbursts``. All known solutions of dissipative BDEs have stationary variance. BDE systems of this type, both free and forced, have been used as highly idealized models of climate change on interannual, interdecadal and paleoclimatic time scales. BDEs are also being used as flexible, highly efficient models of colliding cascades in earthquake modeling and prediction, as well as in genetics. In this paper we review the theory of systems of BDEs and illustrate their applications to climatic and solid earth problems. The former have used small systems of BDEs, while the latter have used large networks of BDEs. We moreover introduce BDEs with an infinite number of variables distributed in space (``partial BDEs``) and discuss connections with other types of dynamical systems, including cellular automata and Boolean networks. This research-and-review paper concludes with a set of open questions.Comment: Latex, 67 pages with 15 eps figures. Revised version, in particular the discussion on partial BDEs is updated and enlarge