Networks in Telecommunications : Economics and Law

Networks in Telecommunications explores the economic and legal implications of network access in terms of both antitrust and regulation. The book documents a shift in regulatory policy in network industries from rate regulation to mandated access, as exemplified by the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

Networks in Telecommunications addresses fundamental issues in discussions of regulatory policy by offering an integrated framework for understanding the economics and law of networks. It extends theories on network design associated with the mathematics of graph theory, which provides insights into the complex, systemic interrelationship between network components. It also applies the principles of transaction cost economics to analyze decisions about the appropriate boundaries of proprietary network architecture. The book introduces network theory to the study of the economics and law of telecommunications. The discussion opens up the black box of the cost function in telecommunications. The analysis also goes beyond the ''network externalities'' approach that focuses primarily on the size of networks. The book highlights the effects of network architecture and the tradeoffs inherent in network design.