How will telecommunications bundles impact competition and regulatory analysis?

In this article, one makes two points about the impact of bundles on competition and regulatory policy. First, one argues that the growing importance of bundles requires an adjustment in the current framework of relevant product markets for individual services, and that the traditional tools of competition policy, namely the SSNIP test, can be adjusted to deal with these new circumstances. Second, one argues that the technological and behavioral changes, underlying the emergence of bundles, call for a shift of emphasis in regulatory policy from ensuring access to the incumbent’s fixed telecommunications network services to ensuring access to television content.

► Bundles are starting to have a substantial importance in telecoms markets.
► Traditional relevant markets may give place to relevant markets for bundles.
► SSNIP test can be extended to these new circumstances.
► Technological and behavioral changes require a shift of regulatory emphasis.
► Shift regulatory focus from access to the incumbent’s fixed network services to access to television content.