방송통신 서비스 결합상품 규제의 최근 이슈 검토

Abstract

We discuss recent issues in the regulation of bundled communications services, with focus on antitrust problems. After describing the basic concepts of bundling and its pricing, we consider the trends of bundled service market and the issues raised accordingly in Korea. To assess the claim that some bundle discounts in Korean communications market may be anticompetitive, we discuss the approaches of Nalebuff’s exclusionary bundling test, predatory pricing test, and Tirole’s framework for analyzing tying cases in turn. And we examine the markets of fixed broadband Internet and pay-TV service in terms of their market structures and firm profitabilities. We find little evidence for the market power being leveraged through bundling strategy from mobile communications service market to broadband Internet or pay-TV service market. It is also found to be difficult to define bundled service markets separately and apply the leverage argument to them. Although there is a concern that bundled service market and communications service market as a whole may turn into an oligopoly of 3 major telecom operators in the long run, we point out that there is little evidence yet for the possibility of bundled services locking in the users and fixing the market structure. The existing empirical studies do not provide enough evidence for consumer switching costs being raised with bundling, especially in choosing mobile service carrier, and it is not obvious yet which service would function as the most important one in consumer choices of bundles. We conclude that it is not justified yet to consider strengthening the ex ante or ex post regulation of bundled communications services. And we suggest that the policy should focus on addressing the factors that deter the cable operators from competing effectively with telecom operators in bundled service market.