Essays on optimal spectrum management for expanding wireless communications

Wireless communications are experiencing an unprecedented expansion. The increasing mobility of the communication society and the pace of technological change are growing pressure for more spectrum to support more users, more uses and more capacity. Thus, spectrum management has become an extremely important part of wireless communications. A few regulators are changing their traditional ‘command and control’ approach. Nevertheless, many features of optimal spectrum management are still widely discussed. This work is aimed at contributing to that discussion. The key insight is that spectrum management can benefit from more liberal spectrum sharing. This work set out to answer three main research questions: (i) whether there is a theoretical framework which can be used to analyze and guide spectrum policy reform, when moving from a traditional ‘command and control’ regime to a market-inspired one; (ii) whether it is possible to design a plausible mechanism which can promote efficient allocation and assignment of spectrum commons; (iii) whether (and how) technological developments could enable band sharing methods outside the traditional management framework and without harmful interference. The literature on transition economics and policy was used to help answer the first research question. Evidence from liberalizing countries was positively analyzed to discuss reforms of spectrum allocation and assignment methods. Most countries have adopted strategies that gradually change their spectrum policies and started by using more liberal methods to assign spectrum. It is also argued that future spectrum reforms might benefit from insights presented in the transition economics literature. A translation of a model on cartel quotas under majority rule is proposed to answer the second research question. The work verifies, firstly, that an analogous set of properties is satisfied under our assumptions and that the median-index theorem applies, mutatis mutandis, to our setting. Thus firms bidding to acquire spectrum commons contribute a minimum amount of their wealth; the sum of contributions offered is then compared to other bids for the same spectrum, which is allocated to the highest bidder. The last research question considers novel ways of spectrum sharing that might be enabled by technological developments. The work explores contributions, from various research areas, regarding management of scarce resources. Those contributions are discussed with respect to shared spectrum access. It is suggested that spectrum management might benefit from methods which enable the management of pooled (intermittent) demands for access, especially methods in line with fair sojourn protocols

The Performance of European Full Service Airlines after Liberalisation: An Econometric Analysis

Deregulation in the airline industry has forced full service airlines to change their strategies in order to respond to increasing challenges. In this paper, an econometric analysis of the possible determinants of economic performance of full service airlines after liberalization has been carried out. A fixed effects model was used and the performance of ten European full service airlines has been analyzed over a period of 11 years. Variables considered in this analysis were the number and type of aircraft in the fleet, the number and type of destinations, investments, number of employees and alliances. The analysis suggests that full service airlines should adjust fleet composition and re-organize operations on their routes in order to react to the increasingly competitive environment

University dropouts: supply-side issues in Italy

High student dropout rates are a longstanding issue in Italian universities. University dropouts may be explained by supply side characteristics of Italian universities as well as by students’ individual characteristics. However, existing contributions have focused on the latter group of characteristics. Our econometric analysis uses a fixed effects model and data collected along seven years for Italian universities, starting from 2001. Results show that some supply side features have a relevant impact on dropout rates. Hence, corrective measures aimed at reorganizing the structure of courses and the location of university remote branches might help in reducing dropouts

University dropouts: supply-side issues in Italy

High student dropout rates are a longstanding issue in Italian universities. University dropouts may be explained by supply side characteristics of Italian universities as well as by students’ individual characteristics. However, existing contributions have focused on the latter group of characteristics. Our econometric analysis uses a fixed effects model and data collected along seven years for Italian universities, starting from 2001. Results show that some supply side features have a relevant impact on dropout rates. Hence, corrective measures aimed at reorganizing the structure of courses and the location of university remote branches might help in reducing dropouts

Punitive damages: l\u2019approccio di Law and Economics

Il contributo cerca di presentare l\u2019approccio della Law and Economics (L&E) al problema dei cos\uec detti "danni punitivi" e di dare conto dei suoi principali sviluppi e risultati. Si parte da una ricostruzione del quadro generale entro cui si collocano gli studi economico-giuridici in tema di punitive damages; si discutono alcuni tratti salienti e si offrono spunti per approfondimenti. Si evidenzia, soprattutto, che il problema dei punitive damages \ue8 affrontato prevalentemente nell\u2019ottica della realizzazione di risultati efficienti (socialmente desiderabili) attraverso il ricorso a opportuni strumenti giuridici, inclusi quelli sanzionatori. Solo di recente l\u2019analisi di L&E sembra svilupparsi oltre gli schemi tradizionali centrati sulla prevenzione e sul risarcimento del danno, per occuparsi pi\uf9 da vicino, in particolare, della qualit\ue0 della condotta del danneggiante e della corretta quantificazione dei pagamenti

Sergio Steve e Duncan Black: gli studi e l'amicizia

Steve includes Black among his friends and masters. However, his views on Black\u2019s contributions to the two most important subjects where they were published are not without criticism, sometimes quite profound: on the impact of income taxes, which Black studied for a short time, and on the theory of collective decisions, to which Black dedicated his entire life in the search for the formulation of a pure science of politics. In the present note I touch briefly on Steve\u2019s criticism (discussed at length in my contribution in the Angeli volume), and on two instances of their scientific collaboration and friendship: Black\u2019s 1962 paper in Rivista di diritto finanziario e scienza delle finanze, and Steve\u2019s long-lasting affection during the late years of his friend\u2019s life