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TPRC
Telecommunications Policy Research Conference
Submitted by Benton Foundation on September 8, 2006 - 10:14amLast updated: February 25, 2008 - 5:34pm
Sep 29 2006 - 1:00pm - Oct 1 2006 - 12:30pm
The 34th Research Conference on Communication, Information and Internet Policy will be held September 29 - October 1 at The National Center for Technology & Law, George Mason University School of Law.
Towards an Economic Framework for Network Neutrality Regulation
Submitted by Benton Foundation on September 26, 2005 - 7:51pmLast updated: February 20, 2008 - 9:14pm
This paper aims at assessing the economic merits of network neutrality regulation. To this aim, the paper applies insights from game theory, industrial organization, antitrust, evolutionary economics and management strategy to analyze network operators’ incentives to discriminate, the impact of potential discriminatory behavior on innovation and social welfare, and the costs of regulation. The results of the paper advance the debate over network neutrality in a number of ways: Economic theory predicts that a network operator that has a monopoly in the market for Internet services does not generally have an incentive to discriminate against independent applications. There are known exceptions to this rule, but there is considerable debate over whether these apply in the Internet context. The paper shows that some of these exceptions may indeed apply in the context of the Internet. More importantly, it identifies exceptions that have not been previously thought of. Thus, there are more cases in which a network provider may have an incentive to discriminate than is commonly assumed.
Strength in numbers? Public participation in the media ownership proceeding at the FCC
Submitted by Benton Foundation on September 26, 2005 - 7:41pmLast updated: February 20, 2008 - 9:14pm
This study examines the role of ICTs in public participation in administrative agency rulemaking. It focuses on the 2003 media ownership rulemaking proceeding before the Federal Communications Commission. The proceeding generated substantial public interest and included extensive use of ICTs by the Commission, public interest groups, and many individuals. This research examines the extent to which the potential of ICTs to facilitate effective public participation in administrative rulemaking was actually realized in this proceeding.
