The Universal Service Obligation for Telephone Directories: Regulating the Redundant

22 Pages Posted: 9 Jan 2011

Date Written: December 19, 2010

Abstract

In this article, we examine the universal service obligation for telephone directories. In most countries, this obligation consists of two parts. First, publishers must offer a comprehensive directory, including all telephone subscribers. Second, this directory should be available to all users. Building a simple theoretical model, inspired by the literature on two-sided markets, we find that one of these two obligations is redundant. Imposing availability to all users is sufficient to induce publishers to offer a comprehensive directory. The reverse however does not hold.

Keywords: advertising, telephone directories, two-sided markets, universal service obligation

JEL Classification: K23, L12, L86

Suggested Citation

De Smet, Dries and Van Cayseele, Patrick G. J., The Universal Service Obligation for Telephone Directories: Regulating the Redundant (December 19, 2010). Amsterdam Center for Law & Economics Working Paper No. 2011-01, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1735834 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1735834

Dries De Smet (Contact Author)

KU Leuven ( email )

Oude Markt 13
Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant 3000
Belgium

Patrick G. J. Van Cayseele

KU Leuven - Department of Economics ( email )

Leuven, B-3000
Belgium
+32-16-326830 (Phone)
+32-16-326796 (Fax)

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
86
Abstract Views
1,494
Rank
527,705
PlumX Metrics