Triple play as a separate market? Empirical findings and consequences to broadband market definition

Double and triple play bundled offers are common phenomena in many national communication markets. However the overall market context, technological background of provision, the level of facility based platform competition and strategic role of the bundled offers seems to be different in national markets. There is clear challenge to the current European regulatory approach to broadband markets, which is treated as a separate market on its own. If there was a separate market for the bundled product, the whole market analysis and remedy system had to be adapted to this market reality. Testing the (triple play) bundle the market hypothesis is the logical and necessary first step to address this issue. We designed and conducted an empirical study supported by the Hungarian Competition Authority in order to address these questions. A special, situation adaptive questionnaire design was applied in order to get the possibly best informed and adequate stated preference reactions to a 10% price change. We used the cri ical loss test for market definition, testing whether there is a separate market for triple play bundles. Results indicates that the market definition question whether bundle has to or could be considered as a separate relevant market can be answered using well designed survey techniques. Many clues support the hypothesis that the triple play bundle in 2010 indeed was a separate relevant market. --triple play,double play,multi-play,bundle,market definition,SSNIP test,consumer survey,stated preference approach,critical loss

Inter-ethnic dating preferences of Roma and non-Roma secondary school students

Adolescent romantic relationships are sou rces of social influence concerning educational achievement and delinquent behavior. Integrated schooling is known to induce inter - ethnic friendship relations, however, it also creates the opportunity of inter - ethnic dating. Based on contact theory, inter - ethnic personal relationships or long - term exposure decreases ethnic prejudice, thus it is proposed that willingness to date between ethnic groups may also increase. The question arises, whether in the school context exposure is enough for this mechanism t o emerge, or personal contact is necessary. It must be also taken into account, that romantic relationships are embedded in status relations within schools. Previous studies on intermarriage and homogamy found a “social exchange” mechanism, that lower stat us members of majority groups are more likely to choose minority partners. Translated to the adolescent society, it is assumed, that the less popular members of the majority groups are those, who are more willing to form inter - ethnic dating relations. To a ddress the above questions empirically, the first wave of the Hungarian network panel "Wired into Each Other” was analyzed, containing data of 1214 9th grade students in 43 classes of seven secondary schools. Inter - ethnic dating preferences of Roma and non - Roma students were measured by dyadic attribution of physical attractiveness, and nominations of willingness to date. Statistical analysis was carried out using multilevel p2 models. They suggest that mixed groups are not sufficient, but personal contacts are necessary to decrease same ethnicity preferences in dating. An additional tendency is that among majority students, those who are isolated from the friendship networks are the ones who are more willing to date with the minority group