Telecommunications Economics, Policy, and Strategy

This course introduces students to the current issues in telecommunications from the economic, policy and strategic perspectives. Basic economic issues to explore are: pricing issues in the presence of network externalities, interconnection and universal service requirements; what are the boundaries of the telecommunications firm?; Mergers and acquisitions in the telecommunications sector; interconnection issues in theory and practice. Some of the key policy issues to explore are: why regulate, and what to regulate in, telecommunications?; the 1996 Act and its reform: does it promote or delay competition? the broadband competition and local competition debacle, sources and possibilities; policy towards spectrum utilization and management; the interface of regulation and antitrust in telecommunications. We will also explore the strategic implications of new technologies, in particular, broadband and wireless; of standard setting procedures; of new policy initiatives, of pricing and product introduction in a deregulated and global environment.