Competing Small Commons: A Model for Network Sharing Governance

Abstract

This working paper argues that innovation in governance structures for mobile network sharing could enable significant efficiency gains. It presents a governance model called “Competing Small Commons” aimed at curbing the uncertainty derived from potential conflicts of interest among sharing partners and preserving competition. The theoretical model focuses on equalizing power among partners together with an expenditure minimizing strategy for the joint operation of the mobile network, which ultimately makes price rather than profit the chief measure to assess the efficiency of the partnership. A top-down approach is also advocated for the successful implementation of the model, which would require joint ownership of radio spectrum bands, and thus make the model more suitable for new deployments rather than existing ones.

Keywords: network sharing, ownership, governance, pricing, competing small commons, spectrum