Regulating Over-the-Top Service Providers in Two-Sided Content Markets: Insights from the Economic Literature

Jan Krämer and Michael Wohlfarth
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Jan Krämer: University of Passau, Chair of internet and Telecommunications Business
Michael Wohlfarth: University of Passau, Chair of internet and Telecommunications Business
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Jan Krämer ()

Communications & Strategies, 2015, vol. 1, issue 99, 71-90

Abstract: In this paper we scrutinize the request to regulate access to the OTTs' essential services bottleneck based on insights from the economic literature. First, we delineate that OTTs may pursue a one-sided or two-sided business model, which makes a fundamental difference with respect to the underlying economics. Focusing on two-sided content markets, we then discuss three scenarios that differ in the degree of competition that OTTs may face, ranging from potential competition over access-based competition (via access regulation) to actual platform competition. Although access regulation may have merits, it is very questionable whether such regulation should be pursued due to a high uncertainty concerning the economic benefits and necessity as well as practical legal problems.

JEL-codes: K23 L51 L96 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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