USA

Zero-rating, a popular practice in which certain services or applications are exempted from data charges, has motivated a debate within the broader topic of net neutrality. Advocates claim that it can be a driver of broadband adoption in less favored regions and population segments, and opponents argue that it entails socially undesirable outcomes. A growing body of literature supports these diverging positions, but empirical evidence and critical assessments are scarce. Therefore, this paper presents a regression model to provide empirical proof of the effect of zero-rating on the demanded quantity of mobile broadband. Results demonstrate that consumers are better off with zero-rating in terms of estimated consumer surplus. Because this evidence addresses only one side of an issue that should be analyzed in a multisided market framework, further theoretical implications are discussed. A key conclusion is that zero-rating can be associated with socially desirable outcomes, and, even though zero-rating also entails the potential for adverse consequences, the results advise caution regarding regulatory tools that might be too stringent.

USA

The presence of Latino TV in the United States has been increasing during the first decades of the millennium. Many alliances and new players are emerging in this market. This article contributes to the discussion of the Latino media by addressing the dynamics and complexity of this changing U.S. media subsystem; in fact, I propose a characterization of the Latino media as a subsystem of the U.S. communication system. The research (a) analyzes the main ownership links and networks between the major U.S. media players with their Latino TV counterparts; (b) draws a map of the Latino TV subsystem with a concentric analysis and establishes the production and consumption particularities of the subsystem; (c) identifies the interaction of Latino TV companies with their partners in Latin America; and (d) establishes that the core of Latino national broadcasting networks can be divided into two levels according to their audiovisual industrial strategies and financial support.