Infrastructural Drivers of Online Shopping: An International Perspective

While online shopping expenditures have been increasing in both developed and developing economies, they still account for a small share of total retail sales. Significant differences also exist across countries in the amount of money consumers spend on a per capita basis on online purchases. The authors utilize the conceptual foundations of infrastructural framework to examine the effects of infrastructural drivers on online shopping expenditures in 43 countries. Findings show that per capita telecommunications investments and per capita gross national income are significantly associated with per capita online shopping expenditures. Privacy protection, Internet penetration, and credit card penetration were not significant

Process Framework for Subscriber Management and Retention in Nigerian Telecommunication Industry

in the global telecommunication industry. Hence, a dominant approach for subscriber management and retention is churn control, since it is cheaper to retain an existing subscriber than acquiring a new one. Predictive modeling employs the use of data mining techniques to identify patterns and provide a result that a group of subscribers are likely to churn in the near future. However, the effectiveness of subscriber retention strategy in an organization can be further boosted if the reason for churn and the timing of churn can also be predicted. In this paper, we propose a data mining process framework that can be used to predict churn, determine when a subscriber is likely to churn, provides the reason why a subscriber may churn, and recommend appropriate intervention strategy for customer retention using a combination of statistical and machine learning techniques. This experiment is carried out using data from a major telecom operator in Nigeria

Overcoming degradation in spatial multiplexing systems with stochastic nonlinear impairments

Single-mode optical fibres now underpin telecommunication systems and have allowed continuous increases in traffic volume and bandwidth demand whilst simultaneously reducing cost- and energy-per-bit over the last 40 years. However, it is now recognised that such systems are rapidly approaching the limits imposed by the nonlinear Kerr effect. To address this, recent research has been carried out into mitigating Kerr nonlinearities to increase the nonlinear threshold and into spatial multiplexing to offer additional spatial pathways. However, given the complexity associated with nonlinear transmission in spatial multiplexed systems subject to random inter-spatial-path nonlinearities it is widely believed that these technologies are mutually exclusive. By investigating the linear and nonlinear crosstalk in few-mode fibres based optical communications, we numerically demonstrate, for the first time, that even in the presence of significant random mixing of signals, substantial performance benefits are possible. To achieve this, the impact of linear mixing on the Kerr nonlinearities should be taken into account using different compensation strategies for different linear mixing regimes. For the optical communication systems studied, we demonstrate that the performance may be more than doubled with the appropriate selection of compensation method for fibre characteristics which match those presented in the literature

Concentrated Ground Plane Booster Antenna Technology for Multiband Operation in Handset Devices

The current demand in the handset antenna field requires multiband antennas due to the existence of multiple communication standards and the emergence of new ones. At the same time, antennas with reduced dimensions are strongly required in order to be easily integrated. In this sense, the paper proposes a compact radiating system that uses two non-resonant elements to properly excite the ground plane to solve the abovementioned shortcomings by minimizing the required Printed Circuit Board (PCB) area while ensuring a multiband performance. These non-resonant elements are called here ground plane boosters since they excite an efficient mode of the ground plane. The proposed radiating system comprises two ground plane boosters of small dimensions of 5 mm x 5 mm x 5 mm. One is in charge of the low frequency region (0.824-0.960 GHz) and the other is in charge of the high frequency region (1.710-2.170 GHz). With the aim of achieving a compact configuration, the two boosters are placed close to each other in a corner of the ground plane of a handset device (concentrated architecture). Several experiments related to the coupling between boosters have been carried out in two different platforms (barphone and smartphone), and the best position and the required matching network are presented. The novel proposal achieves multiband performance at GSM850/900/1800/1900 and UMTS

Optimal pricing strategies for capacity leasing based on time and volume usage in telecommunication networks

In this study, we use a monopoly pricing model to examine the optimal pricing strategies for “pay-per-time”, “pay-per-volume” and “pay-per both time and volume” based leasing of data networks. Traditionally, network capacity distribution includes short/long term bandwidth and/or usage time leasing. Each consumer has a choice to select volume based, connection-time based or both volume and connection-time based pricing. When customers choose connection-time based pricing, their optimal behavior would be utilizing the bandwidth capacity fully, which can cause network to burst. Also, offering the pay-per-volume scheme to the consumer provides the advantage of leasing the excess capacity to other potential customers serving as network providers. However, volume-based strategies are decreasing the consumers’ interest and usage, because the optimal behaviors of the customers who choose the pay-per-volume pricing scheme generally encourages them to send only enough bytes for time-fixed tasks (for real time applications), causing quality of the task to decrease, which in turn creating an opportunity cost. Choosing pay-per time and volume hybridized pricing scheme allows customers to take advantages of both pricing strategies while decreasing (minimizing) the disadvantages of each, because consumers generally have both time-fixed and size-fixed task such as batch data transactions. However, such a complex pricing policy may confuse and frighten consumers. Therefore, in this study we examined the following two issues: (i) what (if any) are the benefits to the network provider of providing the time and volume hybridized pricing scheme? and (ii) would this offering schema make an impact on the market size? The main contribution of this study is to show that pay-per both time and volume pricing is a viable and often preferable alternative to the only time and/or only volume-based offerings for a large number of customers, and that judicious use of such pricing policy is profitable to the network provider

Towards a business model for cellular network and telecommunication operators: a theoretical framework

Cellular networks and telecommunications bring major change to the way businesses are conducted. Mobility has become one of the main priorities for users and this has impacted on cellular networks and telecommunication operators (CNTOs). However, entrants into the cellular industry have been confounded primarily by inexistent or weak Business Models (BMs). Designing a BM for a CNTO is complex and requires multiple actors to balance different and often conflicting design requirements. Nevertheless, most research about CNTOs has been technically oriented and has mainly addressed the technological and engineering issues related to their infrastructure. Less attention has been given to the business model of CNTOs. Hence, there is a need to enhance our ability to determine what constitutes the optimal and most viable business model to meet the various strategic objectives and goals for these CNTOs. In this paper an overview of research into the cellular business model and the main issues to be resolved is provided. In particular, the authors propose guidelines as a basis on which to develop a more comprehensive definition which may lead to a consensus. Moreover, a generic model (V4 Model) is proposed for the BM of these companies based on value proposition, value architecture, value network and value finance