Adoption rate forecasts and rollout strategies

Long-term broadband penetration forecasts for Western Europe are presented. The broadband penetration forecasts are adjusted according to the broadband coverage. The adjusted forecasts are defined as adoption rate forecasts. These forecasts are used as input to the techno-economic calculations to examine broadband roll out in the different access area types. The paper documents the profitability of broadband rollouts in sparsely populated areas and estimates the limits for having monopoly areas as a function of given characteristics. The identified monopoly areas will of course contribute to higher broadband coverage because the profitability in these small areas will be better than earlier expected because of none competition.     

Der deutsche Telekommunikationsmarkt im europäischen und internationalen Vergleich

According to current discussions, the German and European market for telecommunications is not as competitive as in the US or Asia. This paper shows — based on official data — that Germany has a high availability of broadband internet connections. It is not the availability but the usage that lags behind. Fixed telephone calls as well as broadband internet connections are rather cheap in Germany, but to be prepared for the digitalisation of the economy and society, more investments in infrastructure are needed. Surprisingly the US does have a higher number of network providers than Europe. What is missing in Europe is a provider that covers all countries of the European Union; current EBITDA does not show that the European market is too fragmented to make a profit.     

On the construction of price index and the definition of factors affecting tariffs of ADSL connections across Europe

Following a discussion about the factors affecting the evolution and adoption of telecommunications and especially broadband communications, namely subscribers’ profile, market competition as well as users’ income and willingness to pay, in this work an overview of tariffs for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) connections across Europe is presented and a hedonic model is applied in order to identify and estimate the characteristics which are of substantial influence of the broadband prices’ shape. Finally, a price index for ADSL connections is constructed.     

The impact of 1992 on European integration and relations with the United States

The end of 1992 has of late become quite a significant date in Europe. By this time the so-called Single European Market is to be created. The date and the topic are producing intensive debates all over the world. The purpose of this article is to describe certain trends which go along with the process of approaching 1992 and which could have significant implications for the development of the world economy. What intentions do the Europeans have? Where do the risks and conflicts lie? What should be done in order to achieve a harmonious development in the relations between the USA and Europe?     

The business history of the preindustrial world: Towards a comparative historical analysis

The organisation of business transactions in the preindustrial period, once a central concern in scholarly debates about the rise of capitalism, currently plays only a marginal role in the literature on long-run economic development. Our survey of the contents of five top-tier business and economic history journals published in the United Kingdom and the United States from 2000 to 2016 finds that only 20 per cent of the articles concern the entire period before 1800 and that, among those articles, most are national or regional in scope, with a disproportionate focus on Europe, and on England in particular. At the same time, our survey suggests that a strong theoretical foundation and rich empirical data exist on the basis of which we can develop a comparative business history of the preindustrial world. We identify four areas of enquiry that are especially conducive to further comparisons within and beyond Europe: the corporation, the family firms, the economic role of women, and the funding of private businesses.     

Reasonableness in morals

Underlying many of our uneasy debates about the social and moral responsibilities of professionals is a form of scepticism about the role of reason in morals. This claim is illustrated by examples drawn from both the pure-knowledge and applied-knowledge professionals. Hume's sceptical views about the role of reason in our knowledge of matters of fact and in morals are critically examined. An alternative theory of reasonableness that combines elements of foundationalism and coherentism, cognitivism and emotivism, and that emphasizes a process of congruence achieved through reflection, dialectic and dialogue is sketched and illustrated. It is claimed that this notion of reasonableness is the one actually involved in science, law and morals. Jack Stevenson is the author of Engineering Ethics: Practices and Principles, 1987. He has addressed a number of professional associations on topics in occupational ethics. Besides doing work in moral, social and political philosophy, epistemology and metaphysics, he has been philosophy consultant to the Canadian Encyclopedia and is currently working on a book on an early Canadian philosopher, G. P. Young.     

Future prospects for the CFA Franc Zone

The CFA Franc Zone, with 14 member countries in West and Central Africa, is now entering a phase of restructuring. This is clearly indicated by the debates now occurring in the EC, within the French government, in international organizations such as the World Bank and IMF, and in the CFA Franc Zone countries themselves. What have the benefits and drawbacks of the CFA Franc Zone been? What form might future monetary cooperation between Europe and Africa take?     

Effectiveness of Antitrust Sanctions on Modern International Cartels

This paper assesses the antitrust fines and private penalties imposed on the participants of 260 international cartels discovered during 1990–2005, using four indicators of enforcement effectiveness. First, the United States is almost always the first to investigate and sanction international cartels, and its investigations are about seven times faster than EU probes. Second, US investigations were more likely to be kept confidential than those in Europe, but the gap nearly disappeared since 2000. Third, median government antitrust fines average less than 10% of affected commerce, but rises to about 35% in the case of multi-continental conspiracies. Civil settlements in jurisdictions where they are permitted are typically 6 to 12% of sales. Canadian and US fines and settlements imposed higher penalties than other jurisdictions. Fourth, fines on cartels that operated in Europe averaged a bit more than half of their estimated overcharges; those prosecuted only in North America paid civil and criminal sanctions of roughly single damages; and global cartels prosecuted in both jurisdictions typically paid less than single damages.     

Action,regulation, and response: The tobacco industry in the United States and Canada

One of the discoveries of the New World was tobacco. It was brought to Spain by Columbus and other explorers and used for a multitude of medicinal purposes, but not until Sir Walter Raleigh brought tobacco to the English throne, explaining that the native peoples smoked this leaf, and started using a clay pipe in 1586, did smoking tobacco become known and accepted in Europe. From these beginnings in what would become Virginia, the United States tobacco industry of today grew. Today, tobacco generates some $45 billion profits for the publicly held companies in the United States, while in Canada in 1983, the sale of cigarettes alone generated Canadian $62.7 billion.     

Fair Trade: Three Key Challenges for Reaching the Mainstream

After nearly 20 years of work by activists, fair trade, a movement establishing alternative trading organizations to ensure minimal returns, safe working conditions, and environmentally sustainable production, is now gaining steam, with increasing awareness and availability across a variety of products. However, this article addresses several major remaining challenges: (a) a lack of agreement about what fair trade really means and how it should be certified; (b) uneven awareness and availability across different areas, with marked differences between some parts of Europe and North America that reflect more fundamental debates about distribution; (c) larger questions about the extent of the potential contribution of fair trade to development under the current system, including limitations on the number and types of workers affected and the fair trade focus on commodity goods.     

Broadband in Telework,Health and Safety: The User Perspective

ABSTRACT

Broadband potentially has strong influence on social issues such as mobility (telework), health, and public and personal safety. To understand and to predict the adoption of broadband services in these domains, it is necessary to ask (potential) users of those services about their actual usage and expectations. Our research is an exploration of these issues. Results show that broadband connections, applications and services do not yet play an important role in the social issues covered in this research. This is understandable, since many real broadband services are not yet offered on a large scale. When looking at the perceived positive aspects of broadband services and applications, especially in telework and health care, it seems socially desirable, for example, government and employers to stimulate telework and the development of broadband health care services. In the public and personal safety domain the role of broadband is not so self-evident for the potential users of broadband services.     

International heterogeneity in the associations of new business models and broadband Internet with music revenue and piracy

Broadband Internet has fundamentally changed business models in many industries. In the music industry, for instance, old business models were challenged by illegal competitors, and broadband Internet has enabled value creation through new business models. The changes that established business models experienced in the wake of broadband Internet, however, differed vastly across national markets, and these differences are not well understood. We build a conceptual framework and study the extent to which differences in economic and cultural factors are associated with different market outcomes in the wake of the proliferation of broadband Internet. Thus, we compile two unique data sets from the music industry, comprising (1) revenue data for 36 countries and 22 years and (2) piracy data for 47 countries and >2 years. We use a Bayesian multilevel model to explore between-country heterogeneity in the associations between these variables and broadband Internet adoption and business model innovations. Our results show that the negative association between broadband Internet penetration and music revenue is weaker in high-income countries, where income restrictions are less likely to drive demand towards illegitimate piracy services. In terms of cultural factors, we find that a market's response to the introduction of broadband Internet is less negative in countries scoring high on Hofstede's individualism and uncertainty avoidance dimensions. Furthermore, we find that overall revenues only recover after the latest generation of streaming services (e.g., Spotify) has been introduced, and the adoption of these services is associated with lower levels of online music piracy.     

Corporate Social Responsibility and Psychosocial Risk Management in Europe

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a comprehensive concept that aims at the promotion of responsible business practices closely linked to the strategy of enterprises. Although there is no single accepted definition of CSR, it remains an inspiring, challenging and strategic development that is becoming an increasingly important priority for companies of all sizes and types, particularly in Europe. Promotion of well-being at work is an essential component of CSR; however, the link between CSR, working conditions and work organisation is still found to be unfamiliar to stakeholders. As CSR is strategic and is regarded by many companies and corporate leaders as an important development, it offers opportunities for psychosocial risk management, an area that is currently among the top priorities in working environment and well-being at work debates. However, the link between CSR and psychosocial risk management has not been addressed clearly before. This paper aims to explore the potential role of CSR in promoting well-being at work through the development of a framework for the management of psychosocial risks. As part of the research, key stakeholders [including the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), the European Commission (EC), employers’ associations, trade unions and other policy experts] across Europe participated in a survey, interviews and focus groups to assess and clarify the link between CSR and psychosocial risk management. On the basis of the findings, a CSR-inspired approach to the management of psychosocial issues at work is proposed. Such an approach can be a useful tool in contexts where, up until now, expertise and tradition in dealing with psychosocial issues have been lacking.     

SC-FDE宽带航空数传接收机的设计与实现

为满足航空信道条件下的远距离宽带数据传输需求,基于单载波频域均衡传输（SC-FDE）体制,采用8PSK调制体制进行了宽带数字接收机的设计,包括传输帧同步、载波同步、定时同步、信道估计和频域均衡。同时,为保证灵活应用的需求,采用数字内插的方式进行了可变传输速率设计。基于Xilinx现场可编程门阵列（FPGA）平台对硬件实现进行优化,最终实现了传输速率能够从112.5 Mbit/s覆盖到900 Mbit/s的数传接收机。仿真分析和硬件测试结果表明,该接收解调设备能够实现很好的性能指标,同时SC-FDE架构具备有效补偿多径传播影响的能力,适合应用于高动态无线宽带航空数据传输系统中。     

Capital market integration : Some evidence from foreign-controlled securities

Differential taxation of dividends received from Canadian stocks between Canadian and foreign investors and possible differential orientation towards market portfolios points out the fact that foreign-controlled Canadian stocks exhibit a relatively weak relationship with the Canadian market index, while stocks that are predominantly held by Canadians comply more closely to a Canadian version of the CAMP. The article sheds additional light on international capital market integration.     

Normativity in Environmental Reporting: A Comparison of Three Regimes

Normativity is assessed as we evaluate and compare the environmental reporting practices of a sample of French and Canadian companies through the lens of institutional legitimacy. More specifically, we examine how French and Canadian firms changed their reporting practices in reaction to the promulgation of laws and regulations in their respective countries, i.e., the NER and Grenelle II Acts in France, and National Instrument 51-102 and CSA Staff Notice NR 51-333, issued by the Canadian Securities Administrators. The firms’ voluntary disclosures according to GRI guidelines are also investigated. Substantive legitimacy theory is used to explore the level of substantive disclosures provided by Canadian and French firms. The findings reveal that the French parliamentary regime is more successful than the Canadian stock exchange regulation in triggering environmental reporting, and that the GRI combined with local regimes prompts environmental disclosures. Notwithstanding the improvements in environmental reporting under all three regimes, a very low level of substantive disclosure is noted in both countries.     

Thick and Thin Borders in the European Union: How Deep Internal Integration is Within Countries,and How Shallow Between Them

The existence of large border effects is one of the main puzzles of international macroeconomics. The seminal paper by McCallum found that trade between any two Canadian provinces was (on average) 22 times greater than trade between any Canadian province and any US state. Although various authors have estimated internal and external border effects for the whole European Union and some specific European countries, none has done so in the manner that McCallum's seminal paper, stymied by lack of data on region‐to‐region international trade flows. This study uses a novel data set that captures intra and international truck shipments between Spanish regions and regions in seven European countries during the period 2004–11. It computes internal and external border effects, offering novel results for aggregate flows and the importing countries, and estimates several specifications of the gravity equation, so as to tackle such issues as the multilateral resistance term, heteroscedasticity, and zero flows and non‐linear relation between trade and distance. The paper also adds a detailed analysis on the external border effect for each Spanish exporting region and each of the seven European countries considered. By means of this analysis, we shed new light on the relative integration between regions of these seven countries and Spanish exporting regions. Finally, we conduct an extrapolation exercise, computing the ‘trade potentials’ that would be expected in a fully integrated Europe and estimating how long full integration would take to achieve between each Spanish exporting region and each European importing country. To this regard, two alternative scenarios are considered: one using the growth rates of the Spanish exports before the crisis (2001–08) and other considering the post‐crisis growth rates (2011–13).     

软件无线电宽带高中频采样的A/D特性分析

从软件无线电对宽带中频模数变换器(ADC)的要求出发，首先提出了一种以欠采样技术为基础的方案，并对宽带信号的采样率进行了计算；然后详细分析了地面反弹等因素对ADC器件性能的影响，给出了具体的分析结果，最后介绍了指标选取时需考虑的因素。本文的分析和结论对宽带中频采样的设计和器件选取有一定指导意义。     

宽带卫星通信系统分析与技术展望

本文主要阐明科学发展观与转变外贸增长方式的关系,认真落实科学发展观是我国外贸进一步发展的现实选择;分析我国外贸增长面临的新环境,正确处理面临的矛盾和问题,加快转变外贸增长方式是迎接新挑战、提升我国在国际分工中地位的需要;重点按照科学发展观的要求,从以人为本出发,在发展新思路、做好协调、统筹、可持续发展等方面提出转变外贸增长方式应采取的措施。     

The Impact of the U.S. Bio-Terrorism Act upon Canadian Exporters of Food Products to the United States: A Firm-Level Analysis

This article examines the impact of the 2002 U.S. Bio-terrorism Act (BTA) upon Canadian exporters of food products to the United States. A major goal of the BTA is to secure U.S. ports of entry against imports that might threaten the health or safety of U.S. citizens. Although this is a respectable goal, data from a sample of 144 Canadian exporters suggest that the BTA represents a non-tariff barrier to Canada-U.S. trade. Current regulatory procedures have disrupted cross-border supply chains in significant ways. These disruptions have damaged the Canada-U.S. commercial relationship by imposing extra shipment and distribution costs upon Canadian exporters. These delays have had a serious impact upon small-to-medium sized firms (SMFs). The article concludes with a brief discussion of possible remedial actions that might be taken by Canadian exporters.