This paper compares and contrasts the processes used by the European, United Kingdom and Scottish parliaments in considering broadband policies, legislation, regulatory systems and outcomes, within a complex triple-tiered governance system. Broadband is of increasing importance due to the...

In order to encourage investment in telecommunication networks, governments have been encouraged to adopt a regulatory state model, with an independent regulatory authority that is subject to a system of appeals and to parliamentary oversight, providing different forms of accountability. The...

This article considers how electricity utility regulators should treat infrastructure investments related to electric vehicles. It begins by analyzing investments using traditional utility regulatory policy norms. Next, the article analyzes whether utility regulators should broaden their...

This paper investigates the impact of the copper access regulation on broadband adoption in each technology (xDSL on copper infrastructure, FTTx on fiber infrastructure and cable modem). We modelize adoption with a logistic function. Using a 15 European countries dataset we find a negative...

Network trouble reports provide a proxy measure of service quality and network reliability. This paper analyzes the influence of local competition, state-level regulation, new technologies, automation, and mergers on RBOC reports of network trouble. Service quality discrimination between...

In this paper we analyze the impact of motorway networks on production for a panel of twenty one manufacturing and service sectors of eleven EU countries observed over the period 1980-2003. In particular, we analyze if the degree of regulation of the road transport sector affects the link...

The quality of goods provided by public utilities depends on infrastructure features and operational inputs. I compare the economic efficiency that results from price ceilings and minimum quality standards (i.e., compliance with environmental, chemical, and performance standards and norms)...

In this paper, we argue that there is much room for China to strengthen its regulatory framework for public-private partnerships (PPPs). We show that infrastructure projects carried out through local government financing vehicles (LGFVs) were largely unregulated PPPs, and significant fiscal...

While enormous resources have been devoted to responding to concerns about climate change, most of the climate change initiatives to date have focused on mitigation, the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHGs), to avoid the most extreme projected climate change impacts. Progress in addressing...

Long the nation's largest public utility, the Post Office Department lacked a regular means of ascertaining the costs of providing different mail services until 1926. The paucity of cost data, however, did not deter Congress from setting postage rates down to a fraction of a cent or from...