Competition in Telecommunications (Munich Lectures) [Paperback]

Colette Laffont (Author), Jean Tirole (Author)

Book Description

Series: Munich Lectures in Economics | Publication Date: March 1, 2001

Theoretical models based on the assumption that telecommunications is a natural monopoly no longer reflect reality. As a result, policymakers often lack the guidance of economic theorists. Competition in Telecommunications is written in a style accessible to managers, consultants, government officials, and others. Jean-Jacques Laffont and Jean Tirole analyze regulatory reform and the emergence of competition in network industries using the state-of-the-art theoretical tools of industrial organization, political economy, and the economics of incentives.The book opens with background information for the reader who is unfamiliar with current issues in the telecommunications industry. The following sections focus on four central aspects of the recent deregulatory movement: the introduction of incentive regulation; one-way access (access given by a local network to the providers of complementary segments, such as long-distance or information services); the special nature of competition in an industry requiring two-way access (whereby competing networks depend on the mutual termination of calls); and universal service, in particular the two leading contenders for the competitively neutral provision of universal service: the use of engineering models to compute subsidies and the design of universal service auctions. The book concludes with a discussion of the Internet and regulatory institutions.Copublished with the Center for Economic Studies and the Ifo Institute

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Laffont and Tirole have combined their mastery of economic theorywith real-world telecom know-how to produce a gem of a book. If youwant to deepen your understanding of telecom—and of networkindustries generally-you must read this book." Carl Shapiro, Transamerica Professor of Business Strategy, University of California, Berkeley, and author of InformationRules: A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy

About the Author

Jean-Jacques Laffont was Professor of Economics at theUniversité des Sciences Sociales de Toulouse and the InstitutUniversitaire de France and Director of the Institut d'EconomieIndustrielle.

Jean Tirole is Scientific Director of IDEI (Institut d'Economie Industrielle), Chairman of the Board of TSE (Toulouse School of Economics), and Annual Visiting Professor of Economics at MIT.

Product Details

• Paperback: 335 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (March 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262621509
• ISBN-13: 978-0262621502
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,005,080 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Network Competition in Practice, June 14, 2000

By 

Eduardo H. Saavedra (Santiago, Chile) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Competition in Telecommunications (The Munich Lectures) (Hardcover)

Professor Laffont's book illustrates the last ten years theoretical developments that explain how feasible is to encourage competition in local telephony.

As usual, theoretical developments follows technological advances that allow profitable entry in a typical natural monopoly market. Moreover, this book highlights the importance for policy makers in helping entry in this market by eliminating legal entry barriers, or in some cases subsiding new becomers.

Although this book is more oriented to policy makers than academics, I would like to have seeing more formal treatment for some of the many topics cover by professor Laffont. Nevertheless, this book represents an excellent summary of network competition literature.

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of Competition in Telecommunications, July 24, 2006

By 

J. J. Balchin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Competition in Telecommunications (Munich Lectures) (Paperback)

Probably the best summary of the economics of access regulation in the easly chapters that you'll find anywhere (particularly after the sad passing of Jean-Jacques) and a very accessible coverage of the application of those principles to the specific case of telecommunications.