Conjoint analysis of demand for IP telephony: the case of Japan

With the recent diffusion of broadband (BB) services, Internet protocol (IP) telephony is expected to spread significantly in Japan. This article investigates the demand for IP telephony by using conjoint analysis. Projecting IP telephony demand also contributes to Japanese info-communication policy discussions. Two points are made. First, IP telephony is still currently considered an optional supplement or an add-on service option of high-speed BB Internet access services in Japan rather than a close substitute of existing plain old telephone service (POTS). At this point, we find little evidence that many households will promptly forsake their fixed line service for IP telephony. Second, we conclude that the key condition for the proliferation of IP telephony is the complete guarantee of quality of service (QoS), including voice quality, number portability, fax usage and emergency access, comparable to or exceeding that of existing POTS.     

Diffusion of mobile telephony in India: An empirical study

Diffusion of new technology is an important driver of economic growth. In this paper, diffusion of mobile telephony in India is studied. There is a vast diffusion potential in this country which needs to be exploited efficiently and in a rational way. This paper investigates the social, technological, economical and political (STEP) factors that have influenced the diffusion process of mobile telephony especially the diffusion speed. The epidemic model, which is widely employed in the diffusion studies of mobile telephony, is used for the study. The data is fitted into logistic, gompertz, and bass models by nonlinear least squares and it is found that gompertz model best describes the diffusion process of mobile telephony in India. The study reveals that competition and government intervention played a significant role in accelerating the diffusion speed of mobile telephony by making the technology affordable. It is found that mobile telephony is a substitute for fixed line telephony in India. The findings will be useful in taking managerial decisions with respect to factors in forecasting and controlling the diffusion process of emerging technologies.     

Is fixed-mobile substitution strong enough to de-regulate fixed voice telephony? Evidence from the Austrian markets

In this paper, we estimate own-price elasticities for fixed network voice telephony access and national calls services for private users as well as cross-price elasticities to mobile services using time series data from 2002 to 2007 from the Austrian markets. Using instrumental variable estimates and considering cointegration, we find that access is inelastic while calls are elastic. We conclude that the retail market for national calls of private users can probably be deregulated due to sufficient competitive pressure from mobile. Access-substitution on the other hand does not seem to be strong enough to justify de-regulation.     

Diffusion, substitution and competition dynamism inside the ICT market: The case of Japan

Under the new information society paradigm that emerged in the 1990s, contrary to its conspicuous achievement as an industrial society, Japan is experiencing a vicious cycle between non-elastic institutions and insufficient utilization of the potential benefits of information and communication technology (ICT).However, a dramatic deployment of mobile telephones with Internet access service such as NTT DoCoMo's i-mode service in the late 1990s provides encouragement that, once the potential is exploited, Japan's institutional systems can effectively stimulate the self-propagating nature of ICT. The rapid deployment of Internet Protocol (IP) mobile service in Japan can be attributed to worldwide advances in the utilization of personal computers (PCs) and the Internet. Thus, a complex technology web triggered by the dramatic advancement of PCs and the Internet and co-evolving diffusion, substitution and competition dynamism has emerged in the global ICT market, particularly in Japan's mobile communication business.The above observations prompt the hypothetical view that, despite a lack of institutional elasticity, recent advances in Japan's IP mobile service deployment can be attributed to a co-evolutionary dynamism between diffusion, substitution and competition inside the ICT market. Thus, policy questions could be how to create such a co-evolutionary dynamism by means of ICT innovation, enriched functions, reduced price and competitive environment.In order to demonstrate the foregoing hypothesis, an empirical analysis of the mechanism co-evolving diffusion, substitution and competition dynamism inside Japan's ICT market is attempted by utilizing four types of diffusion models identical to respective diffusion dynamics.     

Adoption of health information technologies: the case of a wireless monitor for diabetes and obesity patients

This paper explores what determines the adoption of health information technologies through the use of a case study of a wireless service prototype developed for patients with diabetes and obesity. A technology acceptance model was used as the basis for developing the theoretical framework, which was later tested through a field study. Results indicated that the usefulness of an e-health service was affected by the quality of service, its compatibility with users’ lifestyle, the quality of support, the quality of information presented in the service, usage time, image, accessibility, and ease-of-use characteristics of the service. Designers should develop services that do not require much usage time as users do not want to spend much time using the service. In addition, users should be able to access data presented in the service quickly and easily when they need it. Customisable menu items and short cut keys can be used to make data access quick and easy.     

SERVICE QUALITY IN ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION IN BRAZIL: A MALMQUIST APPROACH

The paper undertakes a dynamic analysis for service quality in the electricity distribution in Brazil between 2010 and 2014 based on Malmquist indexes constructed upon Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) distance functions. The motivation for the less usual consideration of efficiency frontiers for service quality, that does not rely on traditional inputs and outputs but rather on quality indicators, builds on previous static applications in the context of telecommunications. The analysis considers undesirable technical indicators for quality as inputs and desirable consumer satisfaction indicators for quality as outputs in the efficiency frontier analysis. The bootstrap‐corrected Malmquist indexes indicated service quality deterioration in 38.1 per cent, quality stagnation in 40.5 per cent and quality improvement only in 21.4 per cent of the cases. When one decomposes the Malmquist index, the evidence does not suggest relevant frontier shifts and indicates a dominant role for the catch‐up effect. Finally, Malmquist indexes are regressed against variables that may portray heterogeneities, such as firm size, service area, density, ownership and regional dummies in terms of a well‐known two‐stage procedure. The mostly weak significance results reinforce the plausibility of the initial analysis.     

The diffusion of mobile telephony in Italy and the UK: an empirical investigation

Since its appearance mobile telephony has shown a remarkably fast diffusion pattern in most advanced countries. This paper investigates technological and economic factors that have influenced the diffusion process of cellular phones, in particular the diffusion speed and the upper limit. The epidemic model widely used in diffusion studies is summarised and discussed highlighting the evolutionary disequilibrium nature of diffusion processes. Moreover, the econometric specification of some of the models distinguishes between long-run relationships and short-run adjustments to a continuously evolving pattern. We find that the new digital technology, which coincides with increased competition in both Italy and the UK, has made the process faster and increased the saturation level in Italy, but not in the UK; in Italy only the decreasing price of the handset has affected the diffusion process, whereas we find that, in addition to that, decreasing tariffs and increasing consumption expenditures have been significant in shaping the diffusion process of mobile telephony in the UK.     

Access regulation and the adoption of VoIP

The introduction of packet-switched telephony in the form of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) raises concerns about current regulatory practice. Access regulation has been designed for traditional telephony on public networks (PSTN). In this paper we analyze the effect of access regulation and retail price regulation of PSTN networks on the adoption of a new technology in the form of VoIP. In particular, we show that with endogenous consumer choice between PSTN and VoIP telephony, higher prices for terminating access to the PSTN network make VoIP less likely to succeed and lead to lower profits of operators that offer exclusively VoIP telephony.      

Entry and Innovation in Maturing Markets: Virtual Operators in Mobile Telecommunications

In the last few years the mobile telecommunications industry has witnessed the entry of a large number of new service providers. Traditionally, mobile users get their mobile services from the service providers owned by vertically integrated mobile network operators (MNOs). The new entrants do not own a network of their own however, because they use the existing mobile infrastructure, i.e. they are 'mobile virtual network operators' (MVNOs). By granting these virtual operators access to their networks, MNOs actually facilitate the entry of potential competitors for their own downstream service providers. These new entrants might attract additional users by offering competitive services and create extra value with their well-known brand names and other complementary assets. This study focuses on the mobile market of the Netherlands, where competition is intense and MVNOs proliferate. The aim of this research is to improve our understanding of the entry of virtual operators in general, and specifically by explaining why and how virtual operators enter the mobile market and the impact they have on competition in the mobile market.     

Fiber deployment in Spain

Next generation access networks will be critical for future economic growth and access to these infrastructures will have major consequences for territorial and social cohesion. This paper examines the economic and competition determinants that serve as incentives for operators to invest in fiber-to-the-home technology. We draw on a dataset comprising 6603 Spanish municipalities with access to broadband services to examine the incumbent’s (Telefónica) deployment of fiber in the period 2010–2013. We show that local loop unbundling competition had a strong positive impact on Telefónica’s fiber deployment, while bitstream competition had a negative effect. Moreover, the incumbent was more likely to invest in municipalities with a large presence of cable operators. We also consider how the municipalities’ sociodemographic characteristics affected the operator’s deployment decision. While market size and population density had a positive effect on investment, the level of unemployment and the percentage of elderly population had a negative impact.     

电子废弃物回收处理系统环境绩效评估方法及应用

基于生命周期工具,从物质代谢效率和生态环境效益两方面建立了电子废弃物回收处理系统的环境绩效评估指标与方法,并以废弃手机为研究对象,分析现阶段我国回收处理系统的环境绩效水平及其改进潜力。结果显示,废弃手机回收处理系统在物质代谢效率指标方面表现出较好的绩效水平,但在生态环境效益方面尚存进一步优化的空间。通过情景设置开展优化分析结果表明:生产者主导回收情景在各项环境绩效指标上均略有改进;区域产业链配套情景下运输距离的减少仅对人体健康改善指标起到优化效果;鼓励部件再使用情景和先进资源化技术情景可显著提升废弃手机回收处理系统的环境绩效,前者优化效果主要表现在生态环境效益指标上,后者优化效果更均衡。     

Impact of the dedicated infrastructure on bus service quality: an empirical analysis

An econometric analysis is conducted to quantify the impact of different variables on the service quality of the Santiago, Chile bus system. The indicators tested as measures of service quality are the average bus speed, the bus trip time coefficient of variation and the bus headway coefficient of variation. The analysis uses peak hour data obtained for all the routes served by the system’s various concessionaire operators. A separate multiple linear regression model is estimated for each indicator, with the latter as the explained variable. The main explanatory variables are a series of design factors representing different types of dedicated route infrastructure and the incorporation in some routes of segments of urban motorway. The results of the models show that the existence of dedicated bus route infrastructure positively impacts all three service quality indicators. The use of motorway segments in particular has a major positive effect on average speed. The model estimates also reveal that the main explanatory factor in headway variability at the end of a route is the headway variability at the start of it, the latter factor determined by operator management decisions regarding bus despatches.     

Estimating demand curve in the Korean VoIP telecommunications market

The VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) market in Korea is showing rapid growth since domestic carriers initiated the service in 2006. These carriers are now seeking new revenue sources from various convergence services and are increasing investment into VoIP. In particular, local exchange carriers (LECs), formerly reluctant to invest in technologies that would cannibalize their local telephone revenue, have started to invest in VoIP, in recognition of the current convergence of media and the telecommunications industry, as well as in the face of intensifying competition. In this study, we determined that VoIP call rates and landline telephony call rates were the most important factors affecting VoIP call demand, in addition to network externality. We also verified that landline telephony is no longer a supplement to VoIP, but rather, a substitute that has considerable influence on VoIP call demand. Empirical evidence is expected to be considered in policy decision making on current issues in the IT industry, such as access prices or competitiveness assessment. The current empirical analysis on the Korean VoIP industry and the adherence to lessons learned from policy enforcement should provide valuable information to countries seeking to develop their own VoIP industries, as well as to businesses developing new strategies based on the VoIP market.     

Relative demand for highly skilled workers and use of different ICT technologies

This study investigates the relationship between several indicators of ICT usage and digitalization and the relative demand for highly skilled workers. The data are based on two-digit industry-level information on seven European countries for the period 2001–2010. For manufacturing industries, static fixed-effects models show that the share of employees with internet broadband access, the diffusion of mobile internet access and the use of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and automatic data exchange combined with electronic invoicing are all significantly and positively related to skill intensity in the industries observed. For service industries, only mobile internet usage intensity is significant. Specifically for manufacturing, a 10-point increase in the percentage of firms using ERP systems is associated with an increase in the share of highly skilled workers by 0.4 percentage points. These estimates indicate that the increase in ERP system usage during the period studied accounted for 30% of the increase in the share of workers with a tertiary degree across manufacturing industries and countries. The results are robust with respect to the estimation method and the potential endogeneity of ICT.     

The diffusion of Internet telephony among consumers and firms: Current issues and future prospects

This paper analyses the current demand and market potential for Internet telephony—the transmission of voice over the public Internet or over a private Intranet—a technology that has attracted considerable attention as an appealing alternative to traditional telephony but that is likely to develop as a component within an integrated system of video, data and voice applications. The paper investigates technical, economic and social factors supporting and hindering the adoption of Internet telephony. In doing so, it relies upon the idea that the diffusion of Internet telephony is determined both by the attributes of the technological applications as perceived by the potential adopters, and by the characteristics of different users. According to this view, the research points out that relevant uncertainties reside on the demand side, particularly among residential users, and that in the future, businesses are more likely to adopt these applications than consumers. The assumptions concerning the future diffusion of Internet telephony are supported by the results of a survey carried out among a sample of Internet telephony service providers in Europe and North America.     

长江经济带生态保护效率与科技服务业发展效率时空关联分析

建立超效率DEA模型并运用视窗分析测算2010-2017年长江经济带11个省市生态保护效率与科技服务业发展效率,通过空间计量模型分析后者对前者的影响。结果表明：科研技术服务业效率对当地及周边地区的生态保护效率具有正向影响;科技资本服务业效率对当地生态保护效率具有正向影响,但对其周边地区有抑制效应;科技宣传服务业未对生态保护效率产生显著影响。据此,提出长江经济带通过提高科技服务业效率改进生态保护效率的对策。     

A study on the relationship between technology diffusion and new product diffusion

This study investigates the relationship between “technology diffusion” and “new product diffusion”. We define “technology diffusion” as a knowledge spillover process, which is represented by patent citation, and “new product diffusion” as the spread of a new product that has been developed by the application of patented technology. To investigate the relationship between the two types of diffusion, we use patent citation data of code division multiple access (CDMA) technology and market sales data of mobile phones in South Korea for the analysis. The results show that the diffusion of technology through patent citation could be successfully explained by empirical analysis, for which the Bass diffusion model was used. Moreover, we can find out if technology diffusion can be the leading indicator of a new product's diffusion before its launching; in other words, before the commercialization of the patent.     

我国工业行业技术分解测度与技术溢出渠道分析

首先构建了行业内研发、行业间研发和进出口贸易所带来的技术溢出对技术进步、技术效率及全要素生产率影响的计量模型,然后使用数据包络分析法(DEA)计算了我国工业行业效率指数、技术进步指数和表示全要素生产率的Malquist指数,最后使用我国工业行业数据对计量模型进行了估计。结果表明,国内本行业研发和国内其他行业研发提升本行业技术进步指数的同时降低了行业效率指数,行业内研发对全要素生产率的贡献为正,而行业间研发对全要素生产率的贡献不显著,进口和出口对生产效率的提高无显著作用,对技术进步产生了正向的溢出,进口对全要素生产率的贡献为正,而出口对全要素生产率的贡献不显著。     

企业如何进行内外部科研合作网络构建：以我为主抑或博才众长

科学研究作为指导技术创新探索的高阶力量,科研合作网络往往在企业内外同时存在,并对创新质量产生综合影响。利用2007—2019年我国信息与通信技术领域(ICT)相关数据,基于双层网络构建视角从企业层面重点考察内部科研合作网络密度、外部科研合作网络位置与创新质量的关系。结果表明：企业内部科研合作网络密度可以促进创新质量提升;企业所在外部科研合作网络的中心度与创新质量之间呈倒U型关系,而结构洞占据水平对创新质量具有正向影响。进一步研究发现,内部科研合作网络密度一方面使得外部科研合作网络中心度与创新质量的倒U型关系更加平坦,另一方面促使结构洞与创新质量之间的正向关系更加显著。结论丰富了科研合作网络相关理论,可为企业合理构建内外部科研合作体系,提高自主创新能力提供思路和依据。