Experimental Users and Demand for Next Generation Access Networks: A European Perspective

Torn between State Aid regulations and Public Utility visions, the Commission of the European Union (CEU) has rather been inconsistent with respect to next generation access (NGA) networks over the past ten years. As the promise of new trans-sectoral services in areas such as e-health or e-government has extensively been used as a justification for public subsidies in these networks, the reality of the adoption of these services has rather been disappointing. In the literature, a number of technological, demand, market structure and public policy explanations have been advanced to characterize the dilemma of slow adoption of these services. In this context, the concept of “experimental users” is used (and empirically tested) to characterize the different expectations of users with respect to these new services. Consequences with respect to regulatory policy and government strategy are discussed.

Bert Sadowski works as an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Technology in Eindhoven. He received his PhD from the University of Sussex, UK.  He has published numerous articles, papers, reports and monographs on innovation economics, innovation strategy and regulatory economics.  He consults in the areas of public utilities and management strategy and his clients have included companies, municipalities and public agencies like the European Commission and the Ministry of Economic Affairs.