Competition in Telecommunications

Lecture Notes

LEC #	TOPICS
1	Course Introduction and Competitive Structure of Telecoms Industry: The Effect of Convergence  (Telecommunication companies, computer hardware and software companies, and cable operators converge to compete for voice traffic, data traffic, and integration of networks.)
2	What Caused the Telecom Crash? Is there Light at the End of the Tunnel?
3	The Economics of Networks and Regulation  (Economies of Scale and Scope, Sunk Costs, Barriers to Entry and Unbundled Network Elements.)
4	Regulation, Deregulation and the Telecom Act of 1996  (The effect of government regulation on the framework for competition.)
5	Competition in Local Service  (Facilities-based competition and regulation-based competition.) Wireline + Wireless. Will Cellular Replace Residential Wireline Service?
6	Competition for Residential Local and Long Distance  (Bundling of local and long distance services.)
7	Competition in Mobile & Wireless Communications  (Introduction to wireless technologies.) Competition for Standards and Coverage  (TDMA, CDMA, GSM. WCDMA, CDMA2000, TD-SCDMA)
8	Future Wireless Technology (PDF)  Presentation courtesy of our guest speaker: Dick Lynch, CTO, Verizon Wireless.
9	The Direction of Future Competition  (WiFi, bundling of services (Cable TV, voice, Internet)) Full Service Operators (any-distance service, wireline/wireless, voice, Internet access). Integration of Voice, Data, and Wireless Networks
10	Competition in Wireless – Winning Strategies  (How Nextel’s differentiation strategy leads to higher ARPU and lower churn.) Guest speakers:  Scott Wiener, Nextel VP  Brian Toll, 15.020 alum and Nextel Manager, Strategic Pricing & Analysis
11	Internet Commerce in an Wireless World  (A discussion of new technologies that will change how consumers interact with businesses using wireless devices.) Speaker: Hoss Mohsenzadeh, Aliaswire Inc.
12	Entrepreneurs in Telecommunications  (Do entrepreneurial opportunities still exist in Telecom? How should a new telecom-oriented venture orient its strategy?) Speaker: Carl Stjernfeldt, Battery Ventures
13	Competition in an Industry where the Service Look to be Increasingly like a Commodity with Little Differentiation Speaker: Carlos Lopez-Abadia, Qwest CIO
14	Are Spectrum Auctions a Good Idea?  (Is spectrum truly scarce and does auctioning it benefit consumers?)
15	Future Competition in Telecommunications  (Competition on the edge of the network.)
16	Global Competition: Will Anyone Ever Make Money in China?  (What are the critical success factors? Can vendors afford to wait it out? What is the impact of different standards in China?) Speakers: You! Class members from around the world describe competition in their home markets.
17	Mobile Handset Market Value Chain  (Who are the players in the global handset market? How are deals made? Who wields the power? How do new technologies make it into the hands of the consumers?)
18	Will Telecom and IT be a Growing Industry or like a “Water Utility?”
19	Student Presentations
20	Student Presentations
21	Student Presentations Course Evaluations
22	Last Day of Class