The impact of adoption timing on new service usage and early disadoption

Post-adoption usage can be a crucial element in obtaining substantial revenues from new service introduction, especially when adopters display low usage levels or decide to disadopt the service altogether. Here, the authors specifically examine the effects of adoption timing on post-adoption usage and disadoption. Using a longitudinal, individual-level usage data set of 6296 adopters of a new telecom service, they show that the earliest adopters have lower initial usage levels than do later adopters. However, early adopters show increasing usage after adoption, whereas late adopters tend to decrease their usage over time. Also, disadoption rates are higher among later adopters.     

近年来哈萨克斯坦非能源产业发展现状

在全世界聚焦哈萨克斯坦石油、天然气产业和哈萨克斯坦从石油、天然气等传统能源获得巨大利益之时,哈萨克斯坦政府在积极推动本国非能源产业的发展,如粮食产业的恢复,核能等新能源的研发,轻工业产能产量的提高和产值的增加等。本文以纺织业为例,深入分析了该产业在哈萨克斯坦发展的现状、遇到的问题和所采取的对策,以此管窥哈萨克斯坦轻工业发展的真实现状。     

Excessive(?) entry of national telecom networks, 1990–2001

This paper documents entry and capacity expansion in US long-distance fiber–optic networks before and during the “telecom boom.” It disentangles the many swaps and leases between networks in order to measure owned route miles versus route miles shared with other carriers. Entry is still extensive, but more moderate when these shared miles are not counted. It concludes that entry was excessive primarily with regard to swaps and leases, but less so with regard to the physical building of the networks.     

Do elected public utility commissioners behave more politically than appointed ones?

In the United States, public utility commissioners are either appointed or elected and the vast majority is either Republican or Democrat. While previous research has analyzed whether selection method and political affiliation have independent effects on the policy choices of these commissioners, this paper investigates whether these influences may be interrelated and how this question can be analyzed empirically. The context explored in this paper is telecommunications network lease prices and retail prices. While data limitations preclude causal interpretations, the political affiliation of elected commissioners may be correlated with the lease prices that they set. Further, retail prices may vary with the political affiliation of appointed regulators.      

Rural broadband: The provider matters

As broadband use has grown over the past few years, scholars and policymakers have turned some of their attention to the urban-rural broadband divide. While existing research offers important insights into this divide, no research has fully explored the differences in broadband deployment patterns among various types of telecommunications providers, including both large and small telephone and cable providers. Through data collected from interviews with telecommunications company representatives, this research assesses the extent to which different types of providers are deploying broadband in urban and rural areas. The interviews are also used to ascertain factors shaping the broadband deployment decision-making process for different types of providers. Both the quantitative and qualitative elements of this research demonstrate clear patterns among different types of providers in relation to rural broadband deployment, as different types of companies are influenced by somewhat unique regulations, competitiveness concerns, resource levels, and existing infrastructure conditions.     

中国电信投资经济效应的实证研究

本文研究了电信投资对我国经济增长的贡献以及贡献值变化的趋势。利用我国2000—2005年31个省市的数据,建立和估计了两者之间的系统结构方程。结果发现我国电信投资对我国经济增长的边际贡献平均为2.376%,比其他社会基础投资高6.758%,但电信投资的边际贡献呈现下降趋势。分区域考察的结果表明,电信投资及其贡献存在着明显的区域非均衡,在西部对生产率的促进作用远远高于东部和中部;我国西部应加大对电信的投资,东部需要调整投资结构,而中部则应采取措施刺激电信消费。本文在同类研究中取得了一定突破,和Roller与Waverman(2001)的研究结论相反,得出的实证结论与他们在网络效应和边际贡献方面的理论预测相反,对制定电信投资决策具有指导作用。     

The diffusion of new telecommunication technologies

This article assesses the recent diffusion of new telecommunication technologies. Drawing upon an historical framework, the authors find that new technologies face significant barriers to rapid penetration in the home and office. Data on cable television, electronic text services, teleconferencing and alternative video distribution technologies are analysed to highlight the constraints facing the growth of new telecommunications services.     

Global competition and EEC policy in telecommunications: An Italian perspective

Within the framework of increasing US and Japanese competition, an interpretation is given of the future development lines of European telecommunications. Europe is lagging behind in this sector; this is explained in terms of the subdivision of services at the national level and the fragmentation of industrial areas within the respective countries. The minimum basis for recovery should be the establishment of a common European base in the telecommunications sector. A European scenario is proposed with particular attention devoted to the Italian problems in restructuring and development.     

ITU conference in Nairobi: Confrontation or mutual understanding?

This article discusses decisions taken at the Nairobi Plenipotentiary Conference on the technical cooperation activities of the International Telecommunication Union, and relates them to other important ITU activities. Proposals for a new regulatory framework for telecommunication services to be considered at the forthcoming World Administrative Telegraph and Telephone Conference are also examined.