inertia in administratively determined prices

Because communication networks were being used in ways that undermined the rate structure established to recover interstate public telephone service costs, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) created a special access surcharge.  This charge applied to interstate private lines that could connect with local public telephone service (“leaky PBX“).  Such facilities allowed persons to make … Continue reading inertia in administratively determined prices

the real X-factor in price-cap regulation

Price-cap regulation often involves extensive discussion of price-cap index formulas.  These formulas usually account for economy-wide price inflation, or, in a more complex scheme, price trends for the regulated-company’s inputs.  Price-cap index formulas typically also account for productivity growth.  Technical issues associated with measuring and interpreting input prices and productivity growth provide fertile ground for … Continue reading the real X-factor in price-cap regulation

BellSouth communication services volumes, rates, and revenues, 1992-2009

A dataset of units sold, rates, and revenues from 1992 to 2009 for BellSouth’s interstate communication services is now available.  BellSouth, now part of the new AT&T, developed as a regional Bell (Telephone) Operating Company (RBOC) serving customers in nine states in the U.S. Southeast.  This dataset has been compiled from price-cap tariff data publicly … Continue reading BellSouth communication services volumes, rates, and revenues, 1992-2009