Telecommunications productivity, catch-up and innovation

This study examines telecommunications productivity, technological catch-up and innovation in 74 countries for the period 1991-1995. A summary of partial productivity indicators is presented, and total factor productivity (TFP) growth is calculated using the Malmquist productivity change index. Decomposition of the Malmquist index provides preliminary evidence that developing countries can enhance productivity through catch-up. An econometric model is estimated that relates innovation to market size and two measures of market structure, viz., market concentration and private ownership. Model estimates support the Schumpeterian hypothesis that market size is conducive to innovation. However, the hypothesis that concentration (the dominant carrier's share of international message telephone service (IMTS) traffic) is positively related to innovation is rejected. Finally, the model suggests that increased private ownership of the dominant local-exchange carrier can enhance innovation.Catch-up; innovation; market structure; productivity; telecommunications

Market structure, competition, and pricing in United States international telephone service markets

Abstract—Several national governments argue international telephone prices are high because of asymmetric competition and inefficiencies in the accounting arrangements that govern the telecommunications services trade. This paper develops a model of U.S. international telephone pricing that allows for the accounting rate system and contains market-structure variables for both the U.S. and foreign ends of bilateral markets. Model estimation is on 39 bilateral telephone markets from 1991 through 1994. Parameter estimates reveal that settlement rates, market concentration, competition at either end of the bilateral market, and ownership are significant determinants of prices. These findings support initiatives promoting accounting-rate reductions and increased competition.United States international telephone service markets

Some economic and social aspects of residential internet use in Australia

This study constructs a profile of the representative Australian residential Internet user from data obtained from a web-based survey. Survey data indicate the representative user is male, 20 to 40 years of age, highly educated, uses the Internet 8 hrs per week for e-mail and FTP, and has a monthly bill of AUD32. Anordered-logit model relates Internet use to price, sociodemographic and connection capacity variables. Model estimates show the probability of higher Internet use is greater for middle-income households, but declines with age of the user. Policy may be required to enhance access to lower-income groups, and to inform the elderly of the potential capabilities of the new technology. Further, model estimates suggest that Australian Internet subscribers prefer flat-rate pricing (or a combination of flat-rate and usagesensitive pricing) over usage-sensitive pricing schemes. This result is consistent with Australian consumer attitudes toward local telephone and mobile cellular pricing.Residential internet use in Australia, economic and social aspects

CEE telecommunications investment and economic growth

The antiquated state of the telecommunications network in the transitional economies of Central and Eastern Europe has been identified by the OECD (1993) and the ITU (1994) as a significant impediment to regional productivity, international competitiveness and trade performance. This situation suggests that the upgrading and extension of the telecommunications network should be a priority objective for policy-makers in order to facilitate growth. This paper empirically examines the relationship between gross fixed investment, telecommunications infrastructure investment and economic growth for a sample of transitional economies in Central and Eastern Europe. In particular, the paper focuses on empirically determining the direction of influence, and timing, between investment and growth.Economies in transition; Investment and growth; Telecommunications infrastructure

A Variational Assimilation Method for Satellite and Conventional Data: a Revised Basic Model 2B

A variational objective analysis technique that modifies observations of temperature, height, and wind on the cyclone scale to satisfy the five 'primitive' model forecast equations is presented. This analysis method overcomes all of the problems that hindered previous versions, such as over-determination, time consistency, solution method, and constraint decoupling. A preliminary evaluation of the method shows that it converges rapidly, the divergent part of the wind is strongly coupled in the solution, fields of height and temperature are well-preserved, and derivative quantities such as vorticity and divergence are improved. Problem areas are systematic increases in the horizontal velocity components, and large magnitudes of the local tendencies of the horizontal velocity components. The preliminary evaluation makes note of these problems but detailed evaluations required to determine the origin of these problems await future research

Ethical Conduct in a Judicial Campaign: Is Campaigning an Ethical Activity?

The purpose of this comment is twofold. First, through a comprehensive survey of the codes that comprise the sources of legal ethics, the comment elucidates a body of ethical law governing the conduct of candidates in a judicial campaign. Second, after identifying the basic principle found to underlie these ethical codes, this comment argues that the scope of permissible judicial campaigning should be strictly confined

Subscriber churn in the Australian ISP market

Rapid growth in Internet use, combined with easy market entry by Internet service providers (ISPs), has resulted in a highly competitive supply of Internet services. Australian ISPs range in size from a few large national operators to niche ISPs focused on specialised service. With many ISPs currently not profitable, subscriber retention is an important aspect of survival. This study develops a model which relates the probability of subscriber churn to various service attributes and subscriber characteristics. Estimation results show that churn probability is positively associated with monthly ISP expenditure, but inversely related to household income. Pricing also matters with subscribers preferring ISPs which offer flat-rate pricing arrangements.

Trade imbalance in international message telephone services

An econometric model is estimated to identify determinants of trade imbalance in international message telephone services markets. Results indicate that asymmetric market structure is important in explaining bilateral market imbalances for high income country pairs. For low and high income country pairs, GDP per capita is the dominant cause of traffic imbalances. The findings suggest that telecommunications liberalization policies are effective in reducing distortions in international traffic flows and settlement payments. However, liberalization should be accompanied by developmental programmes that enhance income per capita and telecommunications network investment in developing countries. Such programmes may be effective in providing a more equitable distribution of the gains from telecommunications reform across countries.Trade imbalance; international message telephone services

Understanding European Union international message telephone services demand

This study provides a contemporary understanding of demand relations in European Union (EU) international message telephone service (IMTS) markets prior to full liberalization at January 1 1998. Point-to-point demand equations that relate IMTS demand to prices, income, population and distance are estimated on bilateral market data for ten EU countries from 1990 to 1995. Model estimates suggest price elasticities of outgoing and incoming demand between 20.175 and 20.456, and 20.215 and 20.674, respectively. These elasticity estimates provide an empirical base from which to calculate welfare gains from the full deregulation of EU IMTS markets after 1998.Elasticity; European Union; International telephone demand