Next Generation Networks: Challenges for the Future Regulatory Policy

N-play economics… Supply side related conditions

• Exclusion of rivals
• The bundling strategy can be competition diminishing. In case the monopolistic company bundles the monopoly product with the product that is sold in the competitive markets the transfer of the market power from one market to the other occurs.
• Cross-Selling
• The putting different products into one packet allows the companies to sell under the new label also the products which did not found the interest of the customers. In this way the enterprises using out the existing differences in reference prices for the products A and B. Putting together product A and B and selling them in packages it becomes possible to transfer the possessing surplus from product B to A.
• Product differentiation
• Through applying of price bungling the enterprise differentiate its products in comparison to the rivals on the same market. The price can be maintained in a higher level than in case of the single products what can cause that the competitor will behave less aggressively.

N-play economics… Supply side related conditions

• Market barriers
• Implementation of the bundling strategy can become one of the effective measures in creation of the market entrance barriers. From the perspective of competitors it can be quite complicated in financial, market power as well as first mover advantage terms to enter the market and to be able to compete with the similar offer. Especially in case of the strong asymmetric market structure, high vertical and horizontal integration as well as with significant market power the market (see ex-monopolistic telcom operators) the entrance of the newcomers can be out of the question.
• Market Structure
• From the strategic point of view tendency to use price bundling encourages the process of horizontal and vertical integration. It stimulates the market players to narrow cooperation or merging. Because of bundling the increase of mergers and acquisitions on the market is more often to expect. From the perspective of the sector of information and communication technologies the bundling strategy will encourage the process of convergence.