Social obligations & access pricing: telecommunications & railways in the UK

Economics

Regulation Initiative Working Paper Series

1996

Firms operating in the telecomms & railway industries are often required to comply with social obligatins imposed by government. In telecomms universal service obligations & a requirment to keep some charges at low levels are typical examples and in the railways the operation of services at certain times or in remote areas are frequently required. The justification for such policies derives from many sources. Our concern, however, is not about normative aspects of social obligations, but with the way that they are funded. In particular, we address the consequences that liberlization has on the sustainability of funding arrangements.

Regulation Initiative (closed)

2

Regulation Initiative Working Paper Series

No