Access Pricing Research Articles

Intentional Access Delays, Market Quality, and Price Discovery: Evidence from IEX Becoming an Exchange

This paper exploits the staggered securities phase-in when the Investors Exchange (IEX) becomes a national securities exchange to study the effects of intentional access delays on market quality including price discovery. IEX introduces exchange trading---and therefore its 350-microsecond speed bump---alphabetically by stock symbol name. Using first-differences and difference-in-differences regressions I show that trading costs decline on average, with larger decreases for stocks with higher historical average trading activity on IEX. Adverse selection decreases, consistent with theory on speed and quote sniping. Results on price discovery are mixed---price discovery improves on average, but return autocorrelations increase for stocks with high historical IEX trading activity. I find plausible evidence that these changes may be related to a reduction in sweep risk after IEX becomes an exchange.

The price for subway access: spatial econometric modelling of office rental rates in London

ABSTRACTThe relative location of commercial properties as the distance to the metro station as well as its absolute location as the address in the Central Business District (CBD) is expected to influence its valuation. We apply the advanced spatial econometric methodology, based on micro geo-located data, to the office rental transaction data from London in 2015. We use different spatial information on the local and global neighbourhood in order to estimate the spatial hedonic valuation model and test the strength of spatial spillovers and location effects on office fees. For offices in London in 2015, geographical factors may raise the price by 50%, as every next 100 m to the metro cost an additional 0.7 ₤ per ft2 per year and the CBD location raises the cost for ca. 20 ₤ per ft2 per year.

Incentivizing Wi-Fi Network Crowdsourcing: A Contract Theoretic Approach

Crowdsourced wireless community network enables the individual users to share their private Wi-Fi access points (APs) with each other, hence it can achieve a large Wi-Fi coverage with a small deployment cost via crowdsourcing. This paper presents a novel contract-based incentive framework to incentivize such a Wi-Fi network crowdsourcing under incomplete information (where each user has certain private information such as mobility pattern and Wi-Fi access quality). In the proposed framework, the network operator designs and offers a set of contract items to users, each consisting of a Wi-Fi access price (that a user can charge others for accessing his AP) and a subscription fee (that a user needs to pay the operator for joining the community). Different from the existing contracts in the literature, in our contract model, each user’s best choice depends not only on his private information but also on other user’s choices. This greatly complicates the contract design, as the operator needs to analyze the equilibrium choices of all users, rather than the best choice of each single user. We first derive the feasible contract that guarantees the user’s truthful information disclosure based on the equilibrium analysis of the user choice, and then derive the optimal (and feasible) contract that yields a maximal profit for the operator. Our analysis shows that a user who provides a higher Wi-Fi access quality is more likely to choose a higher Wi-Fi access price and subscription fee, regardless of the user mobility pattern. Simulation results further show that when increasing the average Wi-Fi access quality of users, the operator can gain more profit, but (counter-intuitively) offer lower Wi-Fi access prices and subscription fees for users.

Factors affecting members’ participation in primary Dairy cooperatives in North Gondar zone of Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Dairy co-operatives can improve access to market information, reduce costs and price risks of marketing and can increase producers’ access to technology, extension and related services and enhance bargaining power of dairy producers. The overall objective of the society is to alleviate members’ milk marketing problem and increase their income generated from the milk and milk by products.. So, this paper will find out the solution for those problems. The major objective of this study is to identify factors affecting members Participation in primary cooperatives in north Gondar zone. North Gondar Administrative Zone and in the zone 8 districts and 11 primary dairy cooperatives were selected purposively and 114 sample respondents were selected by using simple random sampling methods. Both qualitative and quantitative data as well as primary and secondary data were used in the study.. The result of the study indicated that except access to transport, feed availability and proximity all discrete and continuous variables had a significant association with members’ participation of the dairy cooperatives. The binary logistic regression result of members’ participation also shows that from the hypothesized thirteen independent variables only six variables were found to be significantly influenced members’ participation of primary dairy cooperatives. As a recommendation, the concerned bodies, members and dairy cooperatives should give emphasis on factors like transport access, number of milking cows, price of raw milk, training access, patronage dividend and access of credit to increase members’ participation in GA meeting, decision making, election and economic activities of dairy cooperatives.

Overview: tourism sustainability in the Alpine region: the major trends and challenges

PurposeThis introductory paper aims to provide a broad overview of the significance and contributions of this theme issue.Design/methodology/approachThis introductory paper draws from the papers presented at a conference on tourism and local development in the Alpine region (Courmayeur, Italy, June 26-27, 2017). Sustainable tourism from different perspectives was a core topic at this conference, and it is a theme widely discussed in the literature.FindingsSustainability in mountain tourism has many facets, and it involves many aspects of tourism management: mobility and mobility infrastructure; global warming, snow shortage and long-term viability of ski stations; pollution and clean air; price of accessibility; stakeholders’ involvement and networking; and cross-border partnerships. The tourism literature has always been in transition, with many disciplines contributing to its development. Sustainability adds new perspectives that enrich the field and broaden the horizon and discussion. Even though each paper has its own specific conclusion, there are several key themes that emerge from most of the papers. Among these, sustainability is stimulating a re-think of the “classical” products and services provided in mountain destinations, particularly in relation to the winter season. Snow, water and other physical resources typical of mountain regions can no longer be taken for granted, and their progressive scarcity requires a long-term view.Practical implicationsThe findings indicate that it will be necessary to encourage tourists to try and explore the wider range of products and services that a mountain destination can offer. To facilitate this, tourism operators will need to configure a broader and richer experience in the future. The issue of sustainability involves many stakeholders, who can combine their knowledge, competences and activities to maximize the attractiveness of a location while preserving its resources for the future.Originality/valueThe value of this paper is that it highlights the key themes and perspectives that sustainable tourism is raising.

Does regulation of basic broadband networks affect the adoption of new fiber-based broadband services?

This article provides evidence on the decision of consumers to move from an “old” (copper-based) to a “new” (fiber-based) broadband technology, taking into account the impact of regulatory interventions imposed on the old technology. The analysis in this article has been applied to a sample of EU25 (25 European Union member states) countries using panel data from 2003 to 2015 on the adoption of fiber-based broadband technology by households and firms. Results show that an increase in the regulated price for accessing the old network favors consumer adoption of the new technology. In particular, we find that an increase in the unbundling price of 10% increases fiber-based adoption in the range of 0.7%–1%. Our results also provide insights on the take-up rate of the new technology, i.e. on the ratio between adopted and deployed fiber-based services and networks. By comparing the quantitative effects of regulation, we find that an increase in the access price decreases the take-up rate, meaning that the impact on fiber coverage is stronger than on fiber adoption.

ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ МОЖЛИВОСТЕЙ ЕКСТЕМПОРАЛЬНОГО ВИГОТОВЛЕННЯ В УКРАЇНІ ТА ЗА КОРДОНОМ

Мета роботи. Провести аналіз стану екстемпоральної рецептури у вітчизняних та закордонних аптеках і розробити на його основі рекомендації, орієнтовані на збереження екстемпорального виготовлення та розширення доступності асортименту вищезазначених засобів.Матеріали і методи. У роботі використано загальнонаукові та спеціальні методи: аналітичний і маркетингових досліджень. Інформаційну базу досліджень становили статистичні матеріали МОЗ України та інших організацій, сайти вітчизняних та закордонних аптек, публікації.Результати й обговорення. Досвід Центральної Європи показав, що європейські аптеки широко використовують можливості екстемпорального виготовлення − у деяких країнах виготовлення в умовах аптеки займає 20 % від усіх лікарських засобів, відпущених за рецептом. Аптеки Швеції, наприклад, пропонують екстемпоральні лікарські засоби для терапії в таких напрямках медицини, як онкологія, офтальмологія, педіатрія, хірургія, гематологія, догляд за новонародженими, інфекційні захворювання, препарати для операцій, для інтенсивного догляду. Виготовляють препарати для хіміотерапії, розчини антибіотиків, парентеральне харчування, а також лікарські засоби для полегшення болю. Серед асортименту екстемпоральних лікарських засобів в аптеках пропонують попередньо заповнені шприци, амбулаторні насоси та касети, що дають можливість персоналу зекономити до 1/2 години додаткового часу на кожному препараті та усунути медичні помилки. Також досліджено асортимент екстемпоральної рецептури українських аптек із погляду представлення груп екстемпоральних лікарських засобів, їх глибини та економічної доступності.Висновки. Проведений аналіз досвіду європейських країн відносно використання екстемпоральної рецептури свідчить про широкі можливості виробничих аптек за кордоном, про високий ступінь їх залучення в систему охорони здоров’я. Це дає підстави використовувати вітчизняні аптеки з можливістю екстемпорального виготовлення як повноцінну складову для забезпечення раціональної та доступної фармакотерапії. Досліджено асортимент екстемпоральної рецептури українських аптек. Ширина асортименту екстемпоральних лікарських засобів у вітчизняних аптеках варіює близько 20 груп, глибина у кожній асортиментній групі налічує у середньому від 2 до 10 позицій. Найменш представлені на ринку засоби для лікування ендокринологічних та офтальмологічних захворювань, найбільше представлені косметичні засоби та препарати для лікування оториноларингологічних захворювань. Усі групи екстемпоральних ліків показали достатню економічну доступність − зазвичай, вартість препарату не перевищує ½ − 1 середньоденної мінімальної заробітної плати українця. Таким чином, аптеки мають достатній асортимент екстемпоральної рецептури з доступними цінами, а досвід інших країн дає нові ідеї для відродження даного напряму діяльності, сприятиме розширенню асортименту ліків, розрахованих на різні категорії населення.

Speeding up the internet: Regulation and investment in the European fiber optic infrastructure

In this paper, we study how the coexistence of access regulations for legacy (copper) and fiber networks shapes the incentives to invest in fiber-based network infrastructures. To this end, we first develop a theoretical model that extends the existing literature by, among other things, considering alternative firms with proprietary legacy network (e.g., cable operators) and the presence of asymmetric mandated access to networks. In the empirical part, we test the theoretical predictions using a novel panel data from 27 EU member states pertaining to the last decade. Our main finding is that, in line with the theoretical results, stricter access regulations (i.e., a decrease in access price to legacy network and the adoption of fiber regulation) decrease the incumbent operators’ fiber investments. On the other hand, cable operators are not affected by access regulation. Our paper thus provides policy insights for the on-going revision of the EU regulation framework for the electronic communications industry.

Does the law of one price hold for hedonic prices?

Hedonic prices of locational attributes in urban land markets are determined by a process of spatial arbitrage that is similar to that which underpins the law of one price. If hedonic prices deviate from their spatial equilibrium values then individuals can benefit from changing locations. I examine whether the law holds for the hedonic price of rail access using a unique historical dataset for Berlin over the period 1890–1914, characterised by massive investment in the transport infrastructure. I estimate the hedonic price of rail access across multiple urban neighbourhoods and time periods to generate a panel dataset of hedonic price differences that I test for stationarity using a panel unit root test. Across multiple specifications I consistently fail to reject the null hypothesis of no unit root and accept the alternative hypothesis that the law holds. My estimates indicate a half-life for convergence to the law of one price that lies between 0.28 and 1.14 years. This result is consistent with spatial equilibrium.

Experimental Determination of Rigid Body Properties: An Evaluation on the Use of Piezoelectric or MEMS Tri-Axial Accelerometers

The development of new sensors that are available at more accessible prices may lead to the spread of their use on common studies in structural dynamics. One of areas of interest is the experimental determination of rigid body properties that are mandatory when the vibration response is to be calculated at low frequency ranges. In this work, a comparison of the experimental determination of rigid body properties is carried out to evaluate the performance of the commonly used tri-axial piezoelectric accelerometers and their equivalent MEMS sensors. Although their prices are quite different, both sensors can measure the inertia restraint line that is related to the inertia properties of the tested object. An identification algorithm is applied to the frequency response functions obtained by using both sensors, leading to the estimation of the body mass value, as well as the three coordinates of the centre of mass and the six elements of the inertia tensor. An experimental example supports the use of the referred low-cost sensors.

An Evolutionary Game Theory Approach for Joint Offloading and Interference Management in a Two-Tier HetNet

In this paper, we present a price-based approach for offloading macro users to small-cells in a two-tier heterogeneous network (HetNet). We have constructively exploited the small-cell density in a HetNet to harness offloading opportunities for macro users (MUs), the goal of which is to solve two problems simultaneously. It aims to shun the MUs, who have a lower received data rate due to the interference perceived from the small-cell tier. The scheme also fends off congestion in a macrocell, by offloading macro users to the small-cell tier. We have proposed a novel threshold pricing scheme, which a macrocell adopts, with a view to influencing low data rate MUs to join a small-cell network. Small-cell networks also charge a price, which includes an access price and an interference compensation price, proportional to the number of MUs who choose the small-cells instead of the macrocellular network. We assume that the small-cells adopt existing cell range expansion techniques to accommodate MUs. We formulate an evolutionary game to model and analyze the behavioral dynamics of the large number of MUs under the proposed pricing strategies of both networks. Replicator dynamics is used to find the evolutionary equilibrium of the evolutionary game. Sequentially, we provide the proof of the existence, uniqueness and stability of the evolutionary equilibrium through extensive analysis. Numerical results are provided to demonstrate that the proposed pricing strategies are able to shape the network dynamics by fine-tuning the rate-threshold and price. The ability to control the macrocell population share by itself with an application of the proposed pricing scheme remains the prime contribution of this paper.

Cooperative investment, access, and uncertainty

This paper compares the impacts of traditional one-way access obligations and the new regulatory scheme of co-investment on the roll-out of network infrastructures. We show that compulsory access leads to smaller roll-out, first because it reduces the returns from investment, and second because in the presence of uncertainty it provides access seekers with an option whose exercise hurts investors. Co-investment without access obligations leads to risk sharing and eliminates the access option, implying highest network coverage. Allowing for access on top of co-investment actually decreases welfare if the access price is low.

How commercial publishers play a role in developing a sustainable model for Open Access publishing

One of the objectives of the open access movement has been to upend the traditional model for scholarly publishing by making research findings freely available to anyone, anywhere. The trend emerged partly in response to the major publishing houses having become the gatekeepers of the dissemination of research findings and setting high prices for access to this material via subscriptions to scholarly journals.On the face of it, this state of affairs suggests that commercial actors have no place in the realm of open access publishing. However, an argument can be made to the effect that commercial companies have a part to play in transforming the way scientific publication works and contribute to making research freely available. Having numerous interested parties in the OA domain may contribute towards making research accessible, leading to a general increase in innovation. This is necessary in a field that by and large is in its infancy, technologically, politically and economically. An OA initiative that is part of a profit-driven organization does not preclude it from contributing to a sustainable publishing model, and a commercial approach is not necessarily incompatible with the principles. In this poster we offer NOASP as an example, and part of the wider context of commercial open access publishing. Nordic Open Access Scholarly Publishing is an open access publisher of scholarly journals and books in Scandinavia and a subdivision of Cappelen Damm Akademisk. NOASP was established in 2015 – and continues to grow. In our experience, meeting the very specific criteria for Open Access publishing requires substantial investments in technology and human resources. Publishers who choose to establish themselves in this niche area must have a long-term strategy and develop specific expertise. Competition between publishing houses and other actors provides incentives for staying abreast of new requirements and standards, technology and infrastructure. These strategic and economic factors directly and positively impact the quality of journals and publishing solutions, and ultimately contribute to innovation in the field. The economics of commercial publishing, by heightening competition between the services publishers provide, therefore leads to improvement of both technical platforms and editorial practices. In turn, this leads to higher quality of the end product and broader distribution of the freely available research, which should ultimately be the goal of the OA movement.

Assessing the role of access and price on the consumption of fruits and vegetables across New York City using agent-based modeling

Most residents in New York City (NYC) do not consume sufficient fruits and vegetables every day. Difficulties with access and high prices of fruits and vegetables in some neighborhoods contribute to different consumption patterns across NYC neighborhoods. We developed an agent-based model (ABM) to predict dietary behaviors of individuals at the borough and neighborhood levels. Model parameters were estimated from the 2014 NYC Community Health Survey, United States Census data, and the literature. We simulated six hypothetical interventions designed to improve access and reduce the price of fruits and vegetables. We found that all interventions would lead to increases in fruit and vegetable consumption but the results vary substantially across boroughs and neighborhoods. For example, a 10% increase in the number of fruit/vegetable vendors combined with a 10% decrease in the prices of fruits and vegetables would lead to a median increase of 2.28% (range: 0.65%–4.92%) in the consumption of fruits and vegetables, depending on neighborhood. We also found that the impact of increasing the number of vendors on fruit/vegetable consumption is more pronounced in unhealthier local food environments while the impact of reducing prices on fruits/vegetable consumption is more pronounced in neighborhoods with low levels of education. An agent-based model of dietary behaviors that takes into account neighborhood context has the potential to inform how fruit/vegetable access and pricing strategies may specifically work in tandem to increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables at the local level.

Poor Access for African Researchers to African Emergency Care Publications: A Cross-sectional Study.

IntroductionBased on relative population size and burden of disease, emergency care publication outputs from low- and middle-income regions are disproportionately lower than those of high-income regions. Ironically, outputs from regions with higher publication rates are often less relevant in the African context. As a result, the dissemination of and access to local research is essential to local researchers, but the cost of this access (actual and cost-wise) remains unknown. The aim of this study was to describe access to African emergency care publications in terms of publisher-based access (open access or subscription) and alternate access (self-archived or author provided), as well as the cost of access.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional study using all emergency medicine publications included in Scopus between 2011 and 2015. A sequential search strategy described access to each article, and we calculated mean article charges against the purchasing power parity index (used to describe out-of-pocket expense).ResultsWe included 666 publications from 49 journals, of which 395 (59.3%) were open access. For subscription-based articles, 106 (39.1%) were self-archived, 60 (22.1%) were author-provided, and 105 (38.8%) were inaccessible. Mean article access cost was $36.44, and mean processing charge was $2,319.34. Using the purchasing power parity index it was calculated that equivalent out-of-pocket expenditure for South African, Ghanaian and Tanzanian authors would respectively be $15.77, $10.44 and $13.04 for access, and $1,004.02, $664.36 and $830.27 for processing. Based on this, the corrected cost of a single-unit article access or process charge for South African, Ghanaian and Tanzanian authors, respectively, was 2.3, 3.5 and 2.8 times higher than the standard rate.ConclusionOne in six African emergency care publications are inaccessible outside institutional library subscriptions; additionally, the cost of access to publications in low- and middle-income countries appears prohibitive. Publishers should strongly consider revising pricing for more equitable access for researchers from low- and middle-income countries.

Dark fiber price regulation in the absence of facilities-based competition

Abstract Contrary to copper, fiber is a segmented vital input. This means that, even though a National Regulatory Authority may regulate active fiber, the owner of the fiber network infrastructure may distort retail competition and obtain a sufficiently high wholesale revenue through the sale of dark fiber if this is not subject to regulatory intervention. Given the recent trend in favor of access price regulation of dark fiber in Europe, the analysis evaluates which wholesale price control method should be applied considering that the market structure of the telecommunications industry is the monopolistic bottleneck. Three regulatory options are tested against each other: active-minus regulation, cost-based regulation applied to both layers of the segmented vital input and equivalence of inputs. The imposition of active-minus regulation improves investment incentives and social welfare compared to the alternative methods.

Access to medicines and hepatitis C in Africa: can tiered pricing and voluntary licencing assure universal access, health equity and fairness?

BackgroundThe recent introduction of Direct Acting Antivirals (DAAs) for treating Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) can significantly assist in the world reaching the international target of elimination by 2030. Yet, the challenge facing many individuals and countries today lies with their ability to access these treatments due to their relatively high prices. Gilead Sciences applies differential pricing and licensing strategies arguing that this provides fairer and more equitable access to these life-saving medicines. This paper analyses the implications of Gilead’s tiered pricing and voluntary licencing strategy for access to the DAAs.MethodsWe examined seven countries in Africa (Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Rwanda and South Africa) to assess their financial capacity to provide DAAs for the treatment of HCV under present voluntary licensing and tiered-pricing arrangements. These countries have been selected to explore the experience of countries with a range of different burdens of HCV and shared eligibility for supply by licensed generic producers or from discounted Gilead prices.ResultsThe cost of 12-weeks of generic DAA varies from $684 per patient treated in Egypt to $750 per patient treated in other countries. These countries can also procure the same DAA for 12-weeks of treatment from the originator, Gilead, at a cost of $1200 per patient. The current prices of DAAs (both from generic and originator manufacturers) are much more than the median annual income per capita and the annual health budget of most of these countries. If governments alone were to bear the costs of universal treatment coverage, then the required additional health expenditure from present rates would range from a 4% increase in South Africa to a staggering 403% in Cameroon.ConclusionThe current arrangements for increasing access to DAAs, towards elimination of HCV, are facing challenges that would require increases in expenditure that are either too burdensome to governments or potentially so to individuals and families. Countries need to implement the flexibilities in the Doha Declaration on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights agreement, including compulsory licensing and patent opposition. This also requires political commitment, financial will, global solidarity and civil society activism.

Development of a Systems Science Curriculum to Engage Rural African American Teens in Understanding and Addressing Childhood Obesity Prevention.

Engaging youth from racial and ethnic minority communities as leaders for change is a potential strategy to mobilize support for addressing childhood obesity, but there are limited curricula designed to help youth understand the complex influences on obesity. Our aim was to develop and pilot test a systems science curriculum to elicit rural African American youth perspectives on childhood obesity and enhance their understanding of and support for obesity prevention solutions. The curriculum was designed so it could be integrated with existing positive youth development curricula that help youth advocate for and implement identified solutions. We conducted four workshop sessions with youth that engaged them in systems learning activities such as guided systems diagramming activities. The participants ( n = 21) completed validated surveys presession and postsession that assessed their causal attributions of obesity and support for obesity prevention policies. The youths' perception that environmental factors cause obesity increased ( p < .05), and perceptions that individual behavior and biology cause obesity did not change. Their support for policies that addressed food access and food pricing significantly increased ( p < .05). The youths' system diagrams elucidated links between multilevel factors such as personal attitudes, social influence, and the built environment, which provides important information for designing synergistic solutions. The changes we observed in youths' perceptions of obesity and support for policy changes have important implications for youths' interest and willingness to advocate for social and environmental changes in their community. The strategies have a promising role in supporting community mobilization to address childhood obesity.

Study on Wear Resistance FeNiCrMnAl High Entropy Alloy - Mechanical Properties

Traditional alloys is based on a single element called matrix and to improve some mechanical properties (strength, ductility, strength) are added and other metallic elements in the system. High entropy alloys have become a field of increasingly explored in the world of materials. Excellent mechanical properties obtained of the high entropy alloys recommend them to be from year to year as investigated. In the last decade more than 500 high entropy alloys journal and conference papers have been published [1]. High entropy alloys are alloys who have in their composition 5 to 13 metal elements and the concentration of each component is between 5% and 35%. These elements in the composition of high entropy alloys are divided into elements of minority and majority elements. They are called minority elements because their molar fraction is less than 5%. High entropy alloys have mixing entropy higher than traditional alloys, ΔScons≥1.61R (R = 8.314 J / (mol • K)) [1]. High entropy alloy have been obtained in the laboratory of Science and Materials Engineering faculty from Iasi using a medium frequency induction furnace with 8000 Hz. Because they have excellent mechanical properties high entropy alloys can be used in various fields with high wear and corrosion degree or electronic, magnetic applications [1]. In this work we selected pure metallic elements like: Fe, Ni, Cr, Mn and Al. The quantity of alloy developed varied between 0.5 and 1.5 kg. Metal load necessary for the preparation of metal alloys were formed technical grade, industrial accessible prices and satisfying. Friction and wear rezistance were studies by using a reciprocating sliding test machine , in a pin on disk configuration, using aluminum as counter face.In this paper it investigated the wear resistance of high entropy alloys obtained, microstructure and their mechanical properties.

OTT - Threat or opportunity for African Telcos?

This paper analyses the transition from the voice and SMS era of mobile telephony to the data-only era, and the strategies that operators have adopted during this transition phase. Key drivers for the transition are Over the Top services (OTTs). The paper uses quarterly prices for prepaid user baskets across 44 African countries and introduces an alternative tool to measure and compare top-up bundles. Prepaid voice, prepaid data and top-ups are analysed, to demonstrate the various strategies operators in Africa have adopted, in response to revenue loss caused by OTTs, such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Skype. Case studies of dominant operators in South Africa, Kenya and Namibia are used to highlight which strategies have successfully defended or increased mobile operator revenues. The paper shows that embracing OTTs, and providing prepaid products that resemble flat-rate pricing (top-ups with limited validity), is the most successful strategy for mobile operators to retain revenues. The paper also shows how zero-rated OTTs can be used to gain market share for new entrants. We argue that regulators should resist the push for regulating OTTs, and instead facilitate the evolution to flat access pricing.