Using the Hicks formula to evaluate an estimate of the elasticity of derived demand for toll-free numbers

Duffy-Deno & Parsons D-D & P (2012) estimated the coefficient for the price elasticity of demand for toll-free numbers (TFNs) at between −0.04 and −0.05. Here, the Hicks formula for derived demand is used to check the range of likely demand elasticity for TFNs given the special characteristics of this market. This approach suggests that the demand for TFNs is likely not more elastic than estimated by D-D & P. Therefore, the premise is sound for D-D & P's discussion of the public policy implications of highly inelastic demand for TFNs. The use of industry information for all four parameters of the Hicks formula to check a derived demand elasticity is the first of its kind in the published literature.     

汽油降硫助剂在催化裂化装置中的应用

为解决催化汽油硫含量高的问题,满足产品质量升级的要求,中海石油炼化有限责任公司惠州炼油分公司120万t/a催化裂化装置自2010-05-24到2010-09-03试用了Grace Division公司提供的GSR5-HZ降硫助剂,考察了该助剂的降硫效果.工业应用结果表明:该降硫助剂流化性能及稳定性能较好,与主催化剂CG...     

光催化氧化脱除FCC汽油模型化合物中含硫化合物的研究

为了降低FCC汽油硫含量,分别采用空气氧化法与双氧水氧化法,结合溶剂萃取,对FCC汽油模型化合物进行了光催化氧化脱硫的研究。研究表明:常温常压下,以空气中氧气为氧化剂,当空气气速为40 L/h,500 W中压汞灯光照60 min,硝基甲烷作萃取剂时,模型化合物的脱硫率可达95%以上。     

焦化蜡油络合脱氮-蜡催组合工艺研究

针对焦化蜡油碱氮质量分数高的特点,采用专利脱氮剂,在剂油比为1：100条件下,焦化蜡油碱氮脱除率达到77．8％。小型催化裂化对比评价试验结果表明,采用焦化蜡油络合脱氮-蜡催组合工艺,轻油收率提高3．68％,总液体收率提高4．76％。     

A new measure of US residential broadband availability

The only comprehensive published indicator of residential broadband availability in the US is number of providers in each ZIP code, as reported by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This measure has been widely used in academic and policy research to assess availability and to identify under-served areas, but it is acknowledged to be flawed and is often misinterpreted.     

A dynamic policy license for flexible spectrum management

Electromagnetic spectrum for wireless communications is fully allocated by regulatory authorities, but this does not mean that it is fully utilized. Demand for greater capacity and new services requires new regulatory and technical models for spectrum sharing. This paper develops a regulatory model denoted the dynamic policy license. The dynamic policy license combines the assurances to licensees that come from holding a fixed license while maintaining regulatory flexibility. A dynamic policy license is similar to a traditional spectrum license that specifies a bandwidth, power, center frequency, location, and other parameters. However, one or more of these parameters is subject to change by the regulator over time. The allowed changes are restricted by the license to provide assurances and predictability to the licensee. The opportunities and challenges that this presents to both regulators and licensees is described. For instance, the dynamic policy license can be a regulatory tool for more aggressive spectrum sharing.     

稀乙烯法与纯乙烯法合成乙苯的技术经济对比

概述了催化干气制乙苯工艺与分子筛催化合成乙苯工艺技术的研究现状与进展，分析比较了两种工艺路线的技术经济指标。认为炼油企业利用催化干气制乙苯工艺技术在经济上是可行的，进一步优化装置的工艺流程，加强装置的精细操作，降低生产过程的单位能耗、物耗水平，是推广和发展该项工艺技术的关键。     

Interstate switched access demand analysis

The breakup of the Bell System in 1984 led to the adoption by the Federal Communications Commission of a system of tariff charges that are paid to local exchange carriers by business and residential telephone subscribers, and interexchange carriers such as AT&T. These charges are designed to recover the costs associated with providing access to the public switched network to complete interstate calls. This system is known as the FCC Access Charge Plan. Flat-rate fees, named Subscriber Line Charges, are imposed on telephone subscribers, while usage-based charges are billed to interexchange carriers. These are called Carrier Common Line and Traffic Sensitive rates. Since CCL and TS rates are based on network usage, forecasts of switched access demand are required to set them properly.This paper presents an econometric model of interstate switched access demand developed and utilized by AT&T to produce forecasts of 1988 demand in connection with the Annual 1988 Access Tariff Filings. The model is estimated in a state-level pooled cross-sectional time-series framework, with dynamics introduced via polynomial distributed lags on price and income. It represents an extension of the econometric demand model developed and used by the FCC a year earlier to determine a reasonable forecast of 1987 Carrier Common Line switched access demand. Estimated demand elasticities and forecasts are provided. The model forecasts are also compared to those from other models.     

Toward international settlement reform: FCC benchmarks versus ITU rates

The global telecommunications service market is undergoing significant change as more countries privatize suppliers, liberalize national markets, and encourage entry. Despite these changes, international settlement rates remain significantly higher than the cost to terminate calls and many carriers reap substantial monopoly profits from the settlement payments they receive. Annual US settlement payments approximate $5 billion. Settlement rates are declining but the progress has been slow. High settlement rates, by raising the cost of international telephone service, result in high calling prices. To accelerate a reduction in settlement rates, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a set of maximum rates, called benchmark rates, which it expects US carriers to use in their settlements with other carriers and created a process designed to insure the implementation of these rates. The FCC benchmark rates vary primarily on the basis of a country's level of economic development. When the FCC took its action, the benchmark rates, which range from 15 to 23¢, were significantly below the rates in effect with most countries. The FCC action was widely criticized even though the rates exceed costs, vary according to countries’ levels of economic development, and will be phased in over five years to give countries time to adjust. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) took an unprecedented step of proposing an alternative set of settlement rates for its members. The ITU rates differ significantly from the FCC rates, being much lower for economically advanced countries and significantly higher for less developed countries. The ITU rates vary according to a country's teledensity but the rationale for the ITU categories lacks support. In addition, other, arbitrary categories are part of the plan. Neither the FCC nor the ITU approach to reducing settlement rates address the problem of reforming the international settlement process and replacing it with an economically efficient, market oriented payment scheme. The first stage of the FCC policy went into effect in 1999. Complemented by changing market conditions, the policy has lead to lower US settlement rates, but most rates still exceed competitive market levels. Virtually all US minutes in the FCC's top two income categories comply with the prescribed benchmark rates. In fact, many countries in these two categories have rates with US carriers that are below benchmark levels. Several less developed countries have also negotiated rates with US carriers that conform to the FCC plan. As a result, US carriers benefit from the FCC policy as their average settlement costs decline. These cost reductions make possible lower calling prices but the market structure of US international communications service industry may inhibit the flow-through of these savings to US consumers. US consumer's prices were falling before the FCC acted on settlement rates. The FCC action seems to have increased the pressure to further reduce these rates. At the same time, however, service markets are being increasingly segmented and price discrimination is more widely practiced so only some US consumers benefit from lower settlement rates.     

加氢裂化装置掺炼催化裂化柴油的探讨

随着环境保护要求的日益严格,国家对柴油质量的要求也越来越高。中国石油化工股份有限公司燕山分公司加氢裂化装置进行了掺炼催化裂化（FCC）柴油的尝试。结果表明,通过将一定比例的FCC柴油掺入到加氢裂化装置进行加工处理,低十六烷值的FCC柴油除部分转化为石脑油、航煤等轻质产品外,所得产品柴油仍能满足北京市地方标准,为FCC柴油的加工处理手段进行了有益探索。但掺炼加工FCC柴油比例不宜过大,因为掺人FCC柴油后会造成装置冷氢用量增加、氢气消耗量增加,且航煤、柴油及尾油质量都会受到不同程度的影响。