Data Service Efficiency of Mobile Network Operators using Data Envelopment Analysis
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Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Sähkötekniikan korkeakoulu |
Master's thesis
Authors
Date
2019-10-21
Department
Major/Subject
Communications Engineering
Mcode
ELEC3029
Degree programme
CCIS - Master’s Programme in Computer, Communication and Information Sciences (TS2013)
Language
en
Pages
55+9
Series
Abstract
The ubiquity of mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and mobile routers drive unprecedented mobile data traffic year after year. However, the actual mean mobile data usage (volume) per subscriber varies significantly between Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and countries. Understanding these differences is important for both MNO's evolving business models and telecom regulation in general. A potential driver for these differences is MNO efficiency in delivering mobile data services. Where efficiency is measured relative to non-financial inputs (subscribers and spectrum) and output (total data volume). Given this context, this study estimates and analyzes the efficiency of data service delivery (data usage by subscribers) of 94 mobile operators from 28 countries by using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method. The study demonstrates that many countries have a single highly efficient MNO due to that MNO's effort to gain market share. While in a few other countries all MNOs are high efficiency likely due to country-level initiatives. Furthermore, major economic disparities between countries highly influence country-level efficiency scores. Finally, a case study between Finland and India highlights their similar high-efficiency scores but very dissimilar data service markets.Description
Supervisor
Hämmäinen, HeikkiThesis advisor
Finley, BenjaminKeywords
mobile network operator, data volume, data envelopment analysis, efficiency