Telecommunications
Field Definition
Basic Definition
"The word 'telecommunications,' a twentieth century amalgam of Greek and Latin roots, literally means the art of conveying information 'from a distance.' . . . Today, although precise definitions differ, 'telecommunications' is broadly defined as the transmission of information by means of electromagnetic signals: over copper wires, coaxial cable, fiber-optic strands, or the airwaves." (Neuchterlein & Weiser 2007, at 1-2)
Taxonomy of Telecommunications Industries
Focus Market Segments
- Wireline
- Cable
- Commercial Wireless (Cell Phone)
- Unlicensed Wireless Data (esp. 802.11)
- Internet-Based Communications Platforms
Deprioritized Market Segments
- Satellite MVPD
- Broadcast TV
- Broadcast Radio
- Satellite Radio
- Other Wireless (public safety radios, dispatch radios, maritime communication, cordless phones, etc.)
Excluded From Field Definition
- Pure Content, including:
- Television, or Radio Programmers (Other than Broadcast Networks, which are in a vertically integrated distribution-and-content businesses)
- Online Content Platforms (vs. Communications Platforms) (e.g. Hulu, iTunes, Netflix). We also place user-generated content platforms like YouTube and Wikipedia in this category, although arguably they have a communications dimension.
Overview of the Field
Analysis of the field based on Field Research Methodology, but compacted and rearranged somewhat. I've also provided a reference page providing a Research Methodology Index for Telecommunications which maps specifically from the questions in the research methodology to the narrative below.
- Introduction to Telecommunications Industries
- Value Chain in Telecommunications
- Economics of Intellectual Property in Telecommunications
- Including a comparison of IP-based and non-IP-based sources of competitive advantage
Case Studies
Possible Ways to Organize Case Studies
Network Components
- Fiber
- Legacy Last Mile/Last 100 Feet (DOCSIS/DSL/MoCa?)
- Wireless Last Mile/Last 100 Feet (3G/4G/802.11)
- Services (Operator Provided Content & Managed Services / Internet "Over-the-Top" Services)
Layers
- Physical Layer
- Network Logical Layer
- Data Link Layers
- IP Layer
- Service/Application/Content Layer
Candidates for Case Studies
CDMA/Qualcomm (Wireless Last Mile ; Logical Layer)
- David J. Goodman & Robert A. Myers, 3G Cellular Standards and Patents, 2005 IEEE Wireless Comm. ?, available at http://eeweb.poly.edu/dgoodman/wirelesscom2005.pdf
GSM (Wireless Last Mile ; Logical Layer)
- Rudi Bekkers Bart Verspagen, Jan Smits, Intellectual Property Rights and Standardization: The Case of GSM, 26 Telecom. Pol. 171 (2002).
- Rudi Bekkers et al., Intellectual Property Rights, Strategic Technology Agreements and Market Structure: The Case of GSM (Sept. 2000), at http://www-edocs.unimaas.nl/files/mer00030.pdf
- Rudi Bekkers & Isabelle Liotard, European Standards for Mobile Communications: The Tense Relationship Between Standards and Intellectual Property Rights, 21 Eur. Intell. Prop. Rev. 110 (1999), available at http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/35/11/98/PDF/EIPR-1999.pdf.
Others
- SONET optical standard? - Fiber ; Logical Layer
- Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA) - Fiber ; Physical Layer
- Discrete Multitone (part of the the DSL Standard) - Legacy Last Mile ; Logical Layer
- Some discrete component of DOCSIS standard (perhaps security protocols?) - Legacy Last Mile ; Logical Layer
- Some part of 802.11 standard - Wireless Last 100 Feet ; Logical Layer
- Internet Protocol - All Network Components ; Logical Layer (well known story, hugely important, illustrates public sector importance)
- Google Voice vs. New Alcatel-Lucent Voice Product - Service & Application Layer (direct competition between in-network and over-the-top services)
- WebEx Cisco Acquisition - Service & Application Layer (over the top provider gets bought by tradition in-network equipment provider)
- Some open source Internet-based telecom Project? - Service & Application Layer
Other Resources
Links in Telecommunications
Blogs and News from Telecommunications
Interviews
My current intention is to do interviews after I have written the narrative, and share that with interviewees as a first pass to get their reactions. Possible candidates for interviews:
- Tom Eisenmann, HBS
- Terry Huval, Director of Lafayette, LA Utility Systems‘ FTTH project
Bibliography
Jonathan E. Neuchterlein and Philip J. Weiser, Digital Crossroads: American Telecommunicaions Policy in the Internet Age, 2007.