4 comments

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  Jon L

  2 years ago

  It's also an important instance to note the number of MVNO's that have been launched in the last 2 years. Though a number of have failed due to lack of consumer demand, there is a market for sub-leased and white-label spectrum as offered by the larger carriers to other companies who want in the game.
  
  ESPN, DisneyMobile, Amp'd, Boost, Helio, and FaithMobile are just a few of the companies that have launched their own networks on the available spectrum of existing carriers.
  
  The barrier to entry of this market is lower than ever, and getting lower with the (noted) introductions of technologies like WiMax.
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  Jerry Ellig

  2 years ago

  Let's keep the concepts clear on "textbook oligpoly." Economic theories of oligopoly show that ANY outcome, from perfectly competitive to monopoly to in-between, can happen in oligopoly. The outcome depends on a lot of specific facts and circumstances. (Sorry, no link, but consult that old microeconomics textbook on your shelf, in the chapters that discusses market structures.) So the mere fact that something is an "oligopoly" (relatively small number of sellers) says absolutely nothing about what type of conduct or results inevitably follow.
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  Paul Kamp

  2 years ago

  While there is competition between carriers in the US there is also much more innovation and services available on the networks outside the US. Further, as he points out in his paper, the carriers have a number of non-competitive requirements. Two examples are, disabling phones for other networks and not allowing dual mode WiFi phones on their networks.
  
  Apple just did an end around on the second point by having Cingular agree to their phone sight unseen. If the carriers were not so restrictive we would have seen these types of phones a while back.
  
  I am all for competition, it is just the anticompetitive behavior I have trouble with.
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  qtn

  2 years ago

  actually, he doesn't advocate "massive regulation." he doesn't assert centralized regulation as the solution. in my view he wants pressure to come from, and believes it can only come from, the consumer. in that sense he's not presuming 'ignorant consumer,' but inundated and way-too-busy-to-read-the-fine-lines-of-cell-plan consumer.