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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief introduction to the telecommunication reform process in Europe, its status, and upcoming policy issues. Furthermore, it also aims to provide an overview of the papers in this special issue.Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides an introduction to the telecom reform process based on previous research and the papers in this issue of info.Findings – The introduction argues that the European telecommunication reform process with the telecommunications green paper of 1987 as an important point of departure has been a success in many ways. It has, for example, facilitated the development of mobile, of the internet and its many applications, and considerably lowered prices. However, there are important areas where a single European market has not developed. Moreover, new challenges are rising in terms of upcoming reconfigurations of the whole information communications technology (ICT) area requiring new policy and regulatory answers.Originality/value – The paper provides a brief introduction to the European telecommunication reform process, its achievements, present challenges, and the policy responses of the European Union. In addition, an overview of the papers of this issue of info is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that telecommunications liberalization in Europe has taken the European telecommunications and internet sectors a breathtaking leap forward. To counter the leveling off of growth and facing the smartphone revolution, new structural changes are now required.Design/methodology/approach – The paper assesses in a concise manner the effect of telecommunications liberalization in Europe based on the 1987 green paper. It demonstrates the enormous dynamics created in the mobile and fixed network sectors and the key role of liberalization to make Europe internet-ready during the 1990s. The paper then proceeds to the analysis of the leveling off of growth during the last few years and discusses required changes to restart dynamics.Findings – The green paper of 1987 successfully defined a framework within which political and legal action in both regulatory and competition fields could develop, leading to full liberalization of telecommunications in the European Union by 1998. The subsequent decade saw an enormous expansion of both mobile and fixed services, which only abated by the end of the decade. Liberalization and coordination of licensing of mobile systems were the basis for the entry of the internet in Europe and the explosive growth of GSM mobile services. The paper finds that the deployment of broadband internet and fourth generation mobile now needs further change to relaunch dynamics. It welcomes the goals of the digital agenda for Europe in the context of the 2020 objectives of the European Union, but argues that deeper structural changes are needed to achieve these goals.Originality/value – Liberalization of European telecommunications was guided by a strategic framework set out in the 1987 telecommunications green paper and developed subsequently further. Comprehensive frameworks of this nature will be needed if Europe wants to gain a leading role in the future smart phone and broadband internet markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduces five papers which provide a comprehensive picture of recent developments and challenges in the European telecommunications industry. Believes that both regulators and managers will find these papers insightful and useful in policy and strategy discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to provide a new and simple approach to the empirical assessment of the internal efficiency of national regulatory authorities (NRAs) based on outcomes on regulated markets. Moreover, in order to illustrate this approach, the authors apply the proposed methodology to telecommunications.Design/methodology/approach – First, this paper defines the production process of a NRA to identify correctly the inputs and the outputs of regulatory activity. Second, with reference to the telecommunications sector this paper provides estimates for the inputs and output identified. Third, by treating each NRA as a decision making unit (DMU) this paper carries out a data envelopment analysis (DEA) used in conjunction with a smoothed bootstrap technique.Findings – This paper provides evidences that NRAs operating in new accession countries look more efficient in pursuing dynamic efficiency goals than (more experienced) NRAs operating in other European countries, while they are less efficient when the regulatory outcomes are measured in terms of retail efficiency.Research limitations/implications – The lack of data on NRAs' personnel and budget requires a cautious discussion of the results.Practical implications – This paper enables one to get a better understanding of the effectiveness of different regulatory measures.Social implications – Once a measure of productive (internal) efficiency of a regulatory body has been obtained, it is then possible to embed this information in a more general analysis aimed at disentangling the effectiveness of regulatory measures from the ability (efficiency) of NRAs in putting them into force.Originality/value – The evaluation of regulators' productive efficiency, as well as the identification of its determinants, has been almost completely neglected in the literature. With this paper we start to fill this gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The software industry is rapidly being reformed by the collective development of open, common software - open source software (OSS) - sometimes being free at no charge, but always with the source code revealed for changing, testing and improvement. The purpose here is to examine the role and power of software in the economy and review the economic impacts of the trend to OSS on the software industry largely from a European industrial and social perspective. Design/methodology/approach - The paper briefly traces the economic significance of the software industry and the dominance in packaged software of the large US publishers, the phenomena of natural monopolies building in software packages, and the need for different industry structure for Europe, as it exhibits a small to medium-sized enterprise (SME,) and system integrator structure, It then examines the balancing affects of OSS. The paper also addresses the role that poor software plays in creating new costs or externalities for its users when it fails, contrasting the robustness of open source in defect repair. Findings - The paper finds that the way forward in economic terms for Europe may well be to follow and encourage OSS for reasons of creating a strong software industry and for a counterbalance to current monopolistic trends. Practical implications - The paper's findings emphasise the need for investment, education and encouragement in OSS, by both the public and private sectors, to build a strong knowledge-based society in Europe. Originality/value - The paper introduces the ideas of the basic economic mechanisms of volume sales of software as a good, with analysis of the industry impacts of confluence of the network effect coupled with the law of increasing returns with volume to drive monopolistic positions in the proprietary software package industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the potential need for European public policy actions in the area of mobile communications, in particular of developments towards 4th generation networks (4G). The paper is based on work conducted for the EC/JRC/IPTS/ESTO project "The Future of Mobile Technologies in EU: Assessing 4G Developments". The paper first reviews developments of 3G and 4G technologies in Japan, Korea, China and USA. It briefly addresses potential costs and benefits of competition in infrastructures. The paper states that initiatives in Europe for technologies beyond 3G tend to address research issues, while players in Asia and the USA are aiming at sales of 4G-equipment supposed to start as soon as possible. In conclusion, nine options for policy makers are presented, such as to stimulate 2.5G and 3G data markets, to analyse actual spectrum use, to continue analysing approaches competing with UMTS, to estimate costs and benefits of new approaches to spectrum regulation, and to evaluate steps towards frequency allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The European telecommunications landscape has been transformed over the past 25 years, but spectrum management has remained largely unchanged. The paper seeks to highlight the need for a more flexible approach to spectrum management and, in particular, the role of shared spectrum access.Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on a research study to examine the value of shared spectrum access, based on a review of the literature, a survey of European national regulatory authorities, and scenario analysis.Findings – The paper highlights trends in wireless data growth and, in particular, the impact of 4G cellular mobile technology over the next five years. With pressure also growing on the licence-exempt bands at 2.4 and 5 GHz, a more flexible approach to spectrum management will be required in future, including light licensing, de-licensing and spectrum sharing.Originality/value – The paper brings together a range of evidence to show how the current approach to spectrum management is no longer able to cope with the social and economic demands for the radio spectrum. It should be of value to policy makers, industry analysts and academics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Video distribution over the internet leads to heated net-neutrality related debates between network operators and over-the-top application providers. The purpose of this paper is to analyze this debate from a new perspective that takes into account all of the assets that companies try to exploit in the so-called battle for eyeballs in video distribution.Design/methodology/approach – The systematic value chain analysis is used to determine the points along the value chain where net neutrality interacts with video distribution. The inputs to the analysis are the existing and proposed policy measures for net neutrality in Europe and in the USA, and a number of net neutrality incidents that have led to discussions earlier.Findings – The paper finds that the current and proposed policy measures aimed at net neutrality each contribute to a certain extent to their intended effects. However, the analysis also shows that they are likely to lead to new debates in other parts of the value chain, as players try to compensate the loss of influence or revenue streams by rearranging the ways in which they exploit their assets.Practical implications – Further and new debates are expected in the areas of peering and interconnection, distribution of resources between over-the-top and managed services and the role of devices with tightly linked search engines, recommendation systems and app stores.Originality/value – The new perspectives offered by our value-chain based analysis are valuable for policy makers who aim to promote net neutrality and simultaneously stimulate competition and innovation throughout the value chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Audiovisual works – especially cinematographic works – are at the heart of the changes resulting from the development of the information society. Media convergence radically changed the way traditional audiovisual content is produced, distributed, consumed and eventually archived. Film producers slowly started to experiment with new ways of digital production such as the shortening of release windows to favor new on demand services. How does this translate to European film policy? Due to the unique double nature of cinematographic works which are both economic and cultural goods at the same time, the European film policy is at the crossing point of media, culture, competition and heritage. This paper seeks to address these issues.Design/methodology/approach – In this research paper the authors assessed to what extent the adoption of digital technologies is stimulated throughout the value chain of film making and more precisely to what degree the distribution of a European culturally diverse catalogue of films is encouraged.Findings – For the first time in history, European producers have the tools at their disposal to collaborate, promote and distribute internationally, at lower transaction costs and at a higher speed, and to look beyond their national market. The fast-evolving technological developments provided the European legislator with the opportunity to strengthen and support the promotion of the European cultural identity in all its diversity. But is this also reflected in the current legislative framework? It is clear that different hurdles still need to be tackled.Originality/value – In this research paper an overview is given of the regulatory steps that have been taken so far in the field of European film policy to stimulate the digital production and distribution of European film productions. In the context of new unfolding alliances between stakeholders and experiments with premium video-on-demand or shorter cinema release windows, the relevance of digital production and distribution schemes can no longer be neglected. The emergence of web-based services including cloud computing is likely to accelerate this trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper seeks to define a coherent management preference function for determining the conditions when the market can be effectively used in the management of spectrum based on abduction and volitional pragmatism. Design/methodology/approach - Volitional pragmatism based on the logic of abduction is used to provide an explanation for real world empirical observation of few spectrum trades in the UK. This is generalized for application with wider context of European frequency management. Findings - There has been a considerable regulatory effort directed toward spectrum trading in the EU. The UK experience with trading is clearly not what was expected. It was suggested that this is a result of an analytical approach based on deductive validationism subject to ceteris paribus assumptions. This approach does have merit but its application is over extended. This is due in large part institutional under specification of what constitutes the market and the nature of the transaction taking place. Research limitations/implications - The emphasis is in this paper is on the explanation of real world facts rather than normative prescription based on deductive validationism. Such an approach though fallible (all facts cannot be taken into account) is no less valuable in the process of regulatory decision making than deductive validationism. Practical implications - This paper provides a more coherent explanation of spectrum development and the spectrum management reform process. Originality/value - A set of conditions are provided for determining when the market can be used in the management of spectrum. This makes explicit the intended operation of the market as well as its limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to review current policy and practice in management of analogue-digital switch in broadcasting. Design/methodology/approach - The paper adopts a case study approach. Findings - The paper finds that with regard the objectives of switch-off, the broad policy aims of clearing spectrum, modernising infrastructure, and improving the services to the consumer are shared across the major countries studied. Uncertainty about the cash value and potential alternative uses of spectrum is natural given rapid technological change, but the common potential broadcasting uses include mobile television, high definition digital terrestrial television, and more digital broadcasters and channels, including regional and local developments. Research limitations/implications - The study is restricted to Europe, Japan and North America. Practical implications - The study has implications for assessment of European switchover strategies and role of Digital Terrestrial. Originality/value - There are some overviews, but none of so up to date, nor with this geographical coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to identify the number of European companies among the world’s largest telecommunication, media and technology (TMT) companies. Through this, industry trends will be discerned and light shed on whether European companies are losing out to their rivals based in the USA and Asia in relation to the new highly technological economy that is emerging. Design/methodology/approach – The paper begins by outlining the context for the study before detailing the data sources used in the analysis of the world’s largest TMT companies. The data are drawn from successive annual lists of the world’s largest companies published by the Financial Times. Findings – The paper highlights the limited European presence among the world’s largest TMT companies. A significant proportion of these companies provide telecommunication services. Research limitations/implications – The paper draws on annual lists compiled by the Financial Times. The categorisation adopted in these lists changes over time and does not facilitate the identification of TMT operations in companies where the main activities are in other sectors. Practical implications – There is a need for more data to be available in the public domain. One aspect of this relates to the need to extend the analysis to include smaller TMT companies, while another is the need for more detailed information regarding companies operating in more than one sector. Originality/value – The paper extends existing research into structural change within the TMT sector by focussing on Europe. A longitudinal approach is adopted, with the companies uniquely divided into six lines of business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the licensing and launch of high-speed mobile telecommunications networks in Europe. Design/methodology/approach - The research is based upon data collection from multiple sources, triple cross-checked, on licensing and launch dates and other relevant information. Findings - A series of tables are presented covering a variety of relevant data such as licence and launch dates, megahertz awarded, number of licensees and methods of awards. Research limitations/implications - Despite triple-checking, some uncertainties remain about the precise numbers in a limited number of cases. Originality/value - No one has ever conducted a detailed investigation of this kind before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to analyse the history of, and prospects for, mergers between incumbent European mobile operators. Design/methodology/approach - The paper examines the history of proposals for mergers among incumbent mobile operators in Europe over the past two decades, but with a particular emphasis upon th period commencing in 2006. It examines the rationale for the proposals and analyses why, in virtually every case, the proposals failed to come to fruition. Findings - The paper argues that there are a set of road blocks that bar the way to realising inter-incumbent mergers, and that these are by no means all economic. Given that the environment for M&A activity was relatively positive during 2006/2007, yet nothing much was achieved, it now seems likely that in the febrile environment of the 2008/2009 credit crunch, the topic will return to the backburner. Originality/value - This paper is the first detailed attempt to address this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - New technologies challenge the traditional view that the radio spectrum must be tightly controlled and the new orthodoxy that a market-based approach is the most efficient way to manage the spectrum. This article aims to make the case for collective use of the spectrum. Design/methodology/approach - The paper draws on a range of literature, both technical and economic, as well as the authors' opinions to describe the economic context, market and other models for spectrum allocation, technological advances in signal processing, and the way forward for assessing future spectrum management policy, with particular reference to Europe. Findings - Technical advances, from research in the commercial domain and from release of military research, combined with the increasingly important economic need to facilitate innovation in new radio technologies, demand a debate on a new approach to spectrum management policy Originality/value - The paper brings together the economic and technical arguments in favour of collective use of the radio spectrum and will be of value to academics, business and policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the main trends and uncertainties that will define fourth generation mobile systems and services (46) in Europe. It outlines two divergent visions on 46: the so-called "immediate" 46 vision, consisting of wireless local area networks (WLANs) combined with other wireless access technologies, competing with 36 in the short term, and the so-called "linear" 46 vision, in which the 36 standard is not replaced until the end of its life cycle by an ultra-high speed broadband wireless network. Which of these visions will materialise, and what this means for the competitiveness of the main 46 stakeholders in Europe, will be to a large extent determined by which business models are feasible for 46. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to make a critical review of the introduction of first third generation (3G) mobile services and the evolution of market structure, It aims to look for reasons for the poor market performance of 3G. Design/methodology/approach - The study analyses market data from 17 Western European countries and tests propositions with statistical methods. Findings - The paper finds that there is evidence in support of to the ‘overbidding’ hypothesis, i.e. license fees determined in auctions were higher than ultimately compatible with the originally envisaged market structure based on the n + 1 rule. 3G markets therefore are more concentrated than 2G markets. The correct design of market structure is crucial for accelerating the speed of introduction of 3G services: the speed increases with the number of licenses granted, but decreases with the number of idle licenses. Auctions are not superior to other methods with respect to speed of innovation. Originality/value - This is the first study of this kind and should be read by academics or practitioners dealing with regulation, spectrum licensing and technology forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]