Reza Rajabiun

Regulation, investment and efficiency in the transition to next generation broadband networks

The impact of public policy on the quality of Internet connectivity.Determinants of broadband network performance between 2007 and 2012 in the EU.Countries with more service-based competition have relatively higher quality broadband networks.Third party access/interconnection obligations conducive to broadband infrastructure development. This article explores the impact of public policy on technological change and the development of broadband infrastructure in EU member countries. The analysis explores contradictory findings in previous empirical literature on the interplay between regulation, competition, and investment, noting the importance of the construction of indicators employed to evaluate these interactions. Furthermore, the article points out that the traditional policy model and related empirical literature treat fixed capital inputs in networks as a measure of broadband infrastructure quality. However, relatively higher capital inputs do not necessarily translate into the development of relatively higher quality broadband networks. Using broadband network performance measurements between 2007 and 2012, the article addresses this contradiction in the literature and evaluates the determinants of broadband infrastructure quality in the EU. The analysis suggests countries that have been more effective at promoting entry and competition in the provision of Internet access services have developed relatively higher quality broadband networks.

Lemons on the Edge of the Internet: Technological Convergence and Misleading Advertising in the Provision of Internet Access Services

This article investigates the causes, consequences, and possible remedies to the problem of misleading advertising in the provision of broadband Internet access services. Network performance measurements from OECD countries between 2007 and 2012 document a significant increase in the variability of broadband infrastructure quality, which helps explain growing demand for technologies and policies that counteract information asymmetries between network operators and end users. A cross-country analysis documents the negative association between quality uncertainty and variations in digital infrastructure quality. The analysis suggests public policies and business models that promote market transparency can enhance the efficiency of the broadband access market on the edge of the Internet and stimulate incentives for the diffusion of next generation platforms.

Complementary Realities: Public Domain Internet Measurements in the Development of Canada’s Universal Access Policies

This paper evaluates public domain Internet performance measurements available for characterizing the state of connectivity and developing universal access service quality standards in Canada. As access to the Internet has become more essential to social and economic participation, public domain Internet measurements have become an indispensable tool for users to validate quality of service their network operator delivers and for policymakers to identify and address gaps in broadband infrastructure. Unfortunately, most data about Internet performance remains in the private domain. Furthermore, due to their distinctive methodologies, different sources of broadband speed measurements can generate inconsistent results both in terms of absolute performance metrics and in relative terms. This creates a significant problem for validating service level agreements by users and minimum standards of universal service policymakers are increasingly adopting around the world. In contrast to previous debates about which testing approach is more or less “realistic�?, we argue that distinctive approaches to Internet measurement should be viewed as complementary windows into a complex and fast evolving reality of broadband connectivity. We explore how “big data�? and “small data�? approaches to measurement can complement each other in universal access standard setting. Despite their potential shortcomings, large scale crowdsourced open data network testing platforms have a central role to play in enabling broadband infrastructure policy coordination across different levels of government, empowering consumers, and validating speed and universal service quality standards.