Nationalisation, privatisation and regulation in the Australian broadband market

This thesis examines Australian government regulation of broadband infrastructure in three main chapters. First, empirical evidence demonstrates price regulation is ineffective in the short run and damages investment in the long run. Then, the thesis considers the welfare effects of monopoly network access charges when downstream competition is imperfect. it shows the welfare maximising access price is often zero, and never positive. Finally, the thesis analyses the market's response to a monopoly network's quality surcharge, and finds retailers will offer only high quality products across a broad range of marker parameters. The theoretical outcomes are verified against recent Australian history.