Do switching costs make markets more or less competitive? The case of 800-number portability
Do switching costs make markets more or less competitive? The case of 800-number portability
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DOI：
10.1111/j.1756-2171.2007.tb00049.x
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发表时间：
2007-03-01
影响因子：
2.3
通讯作者：
Viard, V. Brian
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Viard, V. Brian
如果企业对现有消费者和新消费者收取相同的价格，转换成本是否会减少或加剧价格竞争？我研究了800号码可携性，以确定在单一价格制度下转换成本如何影响价格竞争。AT&T和MCI降低了他们的免费服务价格，以应对可移植性，这意味着降低转换成本会增加竞争。尽管市场增长迅速，但提高价格给“锁定”消费者带来的好处，超过了吸引新消费者的动机。大型合约的价格下跌幅度更大，与大型用户的锁定程度更高一致。可移植性宣布和实现之间的价格变化符合理性预期。
Do switching costs reduce or intensify price competition if firms charge the same price to existing and new consumers? I study 800-number portability to determine how switching costs affect price competition under a single price regime. AT&T and MCI reduced their toll-free services prices in response to portability, implying that reduced switching costs increased competition. Despite rapid market growth, gains from higher prices to "locked-in" consumers exceeded the incentives to capture new consumers. Prices on larger contracts dropped more, consistent with greater lock-in for larger users. Price changes between portability's announcement and implementation are consistent with rational expectations.