Published by De Gruyter

Volume 16 Issue 4

Issue of Review of Network Economics

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Contents
Journal Overview

Publicly Available September 26, 2018

Frontmatter

Page range: i-iii

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Articles

September 26, 2018

The Rise of Streaming Music and Implications for Music Production

R. Scott Hiller, Jason M. Walter

Page range: 351-385

Abstract

In this paper, we model the potential for streaming music, a non-durable product, to upend and displace durable music sales. As the popularity of streaming music increases producers will adjust their production to focus on the non-durable channel. We identify conditions under which the changes in music delivery will encourage musicians to release fewer songs, but at a higher quality, leading to market deepening and increased engagement. This change will complete the unbundling process in music production making the traditional bundled album of little importance. This tendency toward unbundling for individual musicians depends on a robust bundle from a delivery platform to provide value for consumer subscriptions. Beyond a model of consumer utility and producer profit, we analyze the most played songs of the large streaming music platform, Spotify, and compare those results to traditional album sales using Nielsen data.

September 12, 2018

Fixed-Mobile Substitution in MENA Countries: The Future of Fixed-Line Markets

Riham Ahmed Ezzat

Page range: 387-417

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to study the occurrence of Fixed-Mobile Substitution (FMS) in the Middle East North African (MENA) region. While there have been many studies on developed countries, empirical evidence for developing countries is somehow limited. In the last few years, mobile cellular subscriptions achieved a tremendous growth across the MENA region making it the second fastest growing region in the world in terms of mobile subscriptions in 2012, and the fastest growing region in terms of mobile traffic in 2014. Fixed subscriptions have also grown but at a slower rate than mobile subscriptions. Using unbalanced data on 17 MENA countries over the period 1990–2009, we explore the relationship between fixed and mobile telephone services by using dynamic panel data models. We find empirical evidence for asymmetric one-way substitution between fixed-lines and mobile phones and we estimate own- and cross-price elasticities for fixed and mobile telephone services in MENA region. The results are then used to derive policy implications in terms of market redefinition, taxation policies, extension of universal services and broadband markets.

About this journal

The Review of Network Economics seeks to help policy makers, academics, and practitioners keep informed of new research and policy debate in network economics and related subjects that are relevant to the study of network industries.

By publishing high quality research on topical issues relevant to network industries, it is hoped readers will be able to gain a deeper understanding of the economic issues involved and that this will improve the quality of decision making by private and public organisations, and debate among researchers. The articles can cover specific network industries, or may deal with general issues that have relevance to a number of different network industries, including topics in the economics of networks, regulation, competition law, or industrial organisation. Papers that provide insights into policy debates are especially welcome, as are up-to-date surveys, book reviews, and comments.

Topics

Network industries
Economics of networks
Regulation and competition law
Industrial organization
Energy
Market exchanges and intermediaries
Media
On-line services
Payment systems
Postal services
Software platforms
Telecommunications and transportation networks

Article formats

Up-to-date surveys, theoretical and empirical research articles, book reviews, and comments