Partnerships in the U.S. telecommunications industry

<html xmlns:o=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns=3D"http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dus-ascii"> <meta name=3DProgId content=3DWord.Document> <meta name=3DGenerator content=3D"Microsoft Word 11"> <meta name=3DOriginator content=3D"Microsoft Word 11"> <link rel=3DFile-List href=3D"The%20U1_archivos/filelist.xml"> The U <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Author>Biblioteca de Ciencias y Tecnología</o:Author> <o:Template>Normal</o:Template> <o:LastAuthor>Biblioteca de Ciencias y Tecnología</o:LastAuthor> <o:Revision>1</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Created>2006-05-24T21:53:00Z</o:Created> <o:LastSaved>2006-05-24T21:53:00Z</o:LastSaved> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>174</o:Words> <o:Characters>962</o:Characters> <o:Company>UCLA</o:Company> <o:Lines>8</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>2</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>1134</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>11.6568</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:SpellingState>Clean</w:SpellingState> <w:GrammarState>Clean</w:GrammarState> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState=3D"false" LatentStyleCount=3D"156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:595.3pt 841.9pt; margin:70.85pt 3.0cm 70.85pt 3.0cm; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Tabla normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> </head> <body lang=3DES style=3D'tab-interval:35.4pt'> The U.S. telecommunications market is experiencing structural changes brought about by sharply falling telecommunication costs, privatization, the Internet and its related technologies, and a web of dynamic new relationships. The article gives a systematic perspective on this critical industry. Within the context of the 1996 telecommunications Act, 127 partnerships were mapped onto a framework consisting of the industry's major players. Interestingly, about 33% of these partnerships involved distribution companies trying to build large infrastructures in hopes of gaining economies of scale and scope. Communication and distribution company partnerships were also significant, given the need for distributors to gain direct access to individual consumers. Overall, these partnerships seem intended to create new value, gaining primary control over particular technologies, increasing market access, creating shelf space, achieving economies of scale and scope, preempting competitors, or simply hedging bets in a business world characterized by technological and regulatory uncertainty. INSET: The Telecommunications Act of 1996. </body> </html>