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...

Recently, Internet auction sites have begun to compete in emotions by advertising the fun and excitement that bidders may experience during auction participation. The implicit conjecture inherent in these advertisements is that consumers derive a hedonic value from auction participation that...

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...

It is crucial for content providers (CPs) to appear prominently on dominant online platforms in order to attract consumer demand. Platforms often offer content providers prominence in return for a monetary compensation (e.g., a sponsored listing). We consider the case where CPs can pay the...

This report scrutinises the economic aspects of data portability in the context of the digital economy, against a background of legal and technical considerations. In particular, the report looks beyond the current requirements of data portability, as provided for by the GDPR. It critically...

wo decades after the net neutrality debated started, the internet ecosystem has evolved and additional gatekeepers have emerged. In order to access content from content and service providers (CSPs), consumers have to pass through a whole internet access value chain, comprised of broadband...

Article 20 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gave consumers in the European Union the right to port their personal data between digital service providers. We critically assess the economic implications of this new right in the light of the extant economic literature and with a...

After the enactment of net neutrality regulation, devices are considered to be the remaining weak link to achieving a ‘neutral’ (non-discriminatory) internet access. We highlight that discriminatory conducts similar to those condemned under the net neutrality regulation can also occur at...

Data sharing between firms is widely believed to promote firms’ ability to innovate and compete. To this end, Business-to-Business (B2B) data sharing platforms, such as 'GAIA-X', facilitate the sharing of data between firms. However, many of these initiatives struggle. Although firms find it...

Cloud computing has recently shifted into the center of attention of Telecommuications Companies. Deutsche Telekom, for example, just announced the importance of cloud computing as one of their leading growth sectors (Deutsche Telekom Press Release, 2010). Also other important telecommunication...