Krishna Jayakar

Pennsylvania State University | Penn State · Department of Telecommunications

This study examined whether the presence of a free trade agreement (FTA) between the United States and a foreign country significantly affected the outcomes of Internet domain name dispute arbitration cases, conducted within the framework of the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP). Data were collected for 2797 arbitration cases filed during th...

While previous studies have examined the effect of news consumption on voting, the possible differential relationships between news consumption (local and national), news media preference (traditional and digital), and local and national voting have not been extensively examined. This study explores the role of news media consumption (local/nationa...

This paper examines the factors predicting the frequency and duration of local broadcast television blackouts by Multichannel Video Programming Distributors (MVPDs), as a consequence of breakdowns in retransmission consent negotiations. Using a database of 372 retransmission agreements executed between 2011 and 2018, the paper uses a binomial logis...

This paper examines the audiovisual programming and production expenditures of leading US media distributors, in the context of the market entry of Over-The-Top content distributors such as Netflix. Using data from the annual SEC filings of publicly traded audiovisual production companies over 2008–2017, it seeks to provide insights into how produc...

Although many studies have investigated how well government websites have implemented website accessibility standards, such as Section 508 and WCAG 2.0, very little research has been conducted exploring what factors influence the level of implementation. Based on the organizational innovation model proposed by Frances Berry, this study examines 342...

Traditionally, attitudes towards remarriage in India have been characterised by scepticism and suspicion, especially in the case of women. Online remarriage sites promised to open up new possibilities for Indians seeking remarriage. A study of self-presentation strategies adopted by men and women in their online profiles posted on a popular remarri...

Purpose This paper is an investigation of the volume, nature and tone of news media coverage of the federal Lifeline Program from its inception to 2018. It aims to examine whether news media coverage is correlated with significant episodes of reform in the program. Design/methodology/approach Using the ProQuest Major Dailies database, articles c...

Purpose This study aims to analyze the impact of the 2014 E-Rate reforms on the pattern of distribution of funds of the program. Design/methodology/approach Using Pennsylvania data, the paper investigates whether a school district that successfully applied for funding received increased support post-reforms, and what socio-economic characteristi...

This paper considers whether common national standards for determining participants’ eligibility and designating service providers in the Lifeline program are preferable to a decentralized system where state utility commissions have greater influence over these program parameters. Two recent decisions of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC),...

Efforts to encourage universal access to information and communication technologies have run into the problem that some individuals, for reasons of affordability, lack of awareness or preference, continue to be without subscriptions. This article examines the arguments commonly put forward in support of promoting broadband access, to determine whet...

Although community technology centers (CTCs) provide a host of services that may have economic consequences, few studies have attempted to empirically assess the impact of CTCs on local communities. Controlling for broadband availability and demographics, this study found that there is a small but positive and significant impact of CTC quality on m...

Competitive pressures created by the global market, and the demonstration of market potential in one country influences the incentives to adopt successful technologies and business models in similar countries. In this paper, we explore how mobile payment operation models might evolve in China, using the more mature Japanese and South Korean markets...

Despite the promise of broadband to improve the lives of persons with disabilities, there are wide disparities in access and usage between disabled and nondisabled populations. This article examines ten case studies of policies and programs promoting ICT and broadband access for persons with disabilities in the leading economies of the Asia-Pacific...

This paper aims to address the differential effect of intra-standard and inter-standard competition on the prices of mobile telecommunication services, specifically in 3G and beyond. It is hypothesized that inter-standard competition will lower price over time after controlling for per capita GDP, preference diversity, and mobile teledensity. A fix...

Some 134 national broadband plans are now in place around the world Opinions are divided regarding the role of government in broadband markets: should the government act as an 'enabler' or as the 'rule-maker'? In this context, this article analyses the ambitious national broadband plans recently announced by China and India, two rising economic pow...

This paper seeks to perform an assessment of the current state of implementation of BTOP-funded public computing center projects based on insights from principal–agent theory. Using newly available data on BTOP-funded PCC projects and correlating them with socioeconomic and geographic data derived from the US census and the FCC, we seek to assess w...

This paper examines the effect of broadband availability on the unemployment rate at the county level in the United States. Using data on broadband availability from the National Broadband Map and census data on unemployment for all 3000-plus counties in the United States, this paper estimates an econometric model that that isolates the effect of b...

To meet increasing demand for wireless Internet access, as well as to close the gap between those having and not having paid Internet service, many countries are attempting to provide more, better-quality free Wi-Fi networks. In their effort to develop free wireless broadband, government plays a crucial role as it has done in the wired broadband de...

This paper is a comparative analysis of the mobile banking value chain in China, Japan and South Korea, three of the leading markets for mobile telecommunications in Asia. We identify the key players in the mobile payment value chain in each country, their competitive strategies and operational linkages, and the impact of banking and telecommunicat...

This paper examines the effectiveness of various spam regulations in countries across the world, with a special emphasis on the CAN-SPAM Act in the United States, and compares their effectiveness. Our analysis is based on legal documents, court judgments, spam content, and international comparison. The conclusions identify problems with current nat...

Few studies have explored the impacts of colonialism on current telecommunications development in sub-Saharan Africa. While the impacts of colonialism on long-run socio-economic development have been well documented (see Acemoglu, Johnson, & Robinson, 2002; Engerman & Sokoff, 2002), a greater understanding of the impacts of differential colonial in...

This comparative case study investigates the contrasting approaches to telecommunications standard-setting adopted by two developing countries, China and India, using the 3G standard as a case study. Despite facing comparable opportunities in the form of fast-growing markets, and comparable challenges in terms of meeting consumer demand and fosteri...

Although numerous prior studies have examined consumer valuations in bundling transactions from a theoretical perspective, relatively few have focused on large datasets. In addition, little prior research has targeted developing telecommunication markets. To address these gaps in the literature, we examine the rationality of consumers' bundling cho...

This paper compares the interactions between e-government and open government initiatives in two leading developing nations, China and India. It aims to evaluate the implementation of China’s Open Government Information Regulations, and compare it to India’s Right to Information Act, in terms of the quantity and quality of information and the quali...

This study examines the self presentation practices of Indian Muslim men and women in online matrimonial advertisements. Findings indicate that while Indian Muslims are using the new medium to adhere to traditional cultural and religious values, they are also making critical adjustments to adapt to the medium itself. While Muslim men and women clai...

This paper examines the operation of the Internet domain name dispute resolution policy in India, including a quantitative analysis of all domain name disputes arbitrated under the policy between April 2006 and December 2011. Disputes regarding domain name registrations, including allegations of trademark infringements and transfer disputes, have b...

This paper will examine the current status of access for individuals with disabilities to broadband infrastructures, technologies and services, specifically those deployed by the cable industry. It will investigate efforts to improve broadband access to the disabled, through market-driven initiatives, public-private partnerships and regulatory mand...

This paper examines the contrast between China's and India's universal service policies as manifestations of the two states' differing self-conceptualizations and legitimation strategies. We examine the timeline of universal service policies in the two countries, differentiating between the territorial, demographic and layered dimensions of univers...

This paper examines the effect of broadband availability, quality and competition on total employment, the unemployment rate, and employment generation in the recovery from the recession, at the county level in the United States. An extensive literature exists on the relationship between telecommunications, and specifically broadband, on economic a...

Despite an apparent consensus about the importance of sound telecommunications regulatory governance, there is no agreement among researchers about how to measure it. While dichotomous coding of de jure independence has served as a proxy to measure whether an agency’s regulatory governance is transparent, non-arbitrary, and free from political infl...

This paper is a case study of the legal aspects of Baidu’s online music distribution business from its inception in 2000 to the July 2011 settlement. After successfully withstanding several legal challenges over the 2005-2011 period, Baidu suddenly concluded an out-of-court settlement with a group of music distribution companies, under which Baidu...

This paper is a comparative analysis of the telecommunications policy-making process in China and India. Adopting an institutionalist perspective and multi-streams framework, the paper analyzes the formal structures, rule-making procedures and interest groups involved in telecommunications policy-making in the two countries, in terms of their evolu...

IntroductionTechnical DescriptionInstitutional StructureDNS Policy QuestionsFuture of the Domain Name SystemCross References

This paper examines the ‘video description’ requirements in the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (the CVAA). It studies the policy discourse and interest group mobilization related to the video description requirement, in the context of past controversies and legal challenges associated with the measure. The p...

This paper examines regulatory governance in the context of African telecommunications. Though there is already a substantial literature devoted to the regulatory practices in developing countries, it generally conceptualizes the quality of regulation as an exogenous policy variable that affects the performance of the telecommunications sector or t...

This paper seeks to perform an assessment of the current state of implementation of BTOP- funded public computing center projects. Using newly available data on BTOP funded PCC projects and correlating them with socioeconomic and geographic data derived from the US census and the FCC, we seek to match actual usage statistics at BTOP-funded PCCs aga...

Can broadband save declining communities? The National Broadband Plan pays more attention than any previous policy to this question. Professor Jayakar focuses on community-based public and non-profit institutions which serve as anchor institutions or demand aggregators, and which provide job training, digital literacy instruction, continuing educat...

In 2002, a new law was passed in India requiring the introduction of a nationwide conditional access system (CAS) (addressable cable), but administrative problems and court challenges delayed its implementation until 2007 and limited it to some localities in the four largest cities. At a substantive level, the outcome is in accord with incrementali...

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) recently announced by the Federal Communication Commission visualizes a significantly enhanced commitment to public computing centers (PCCs) as an element of the Commission's plans for promoting broadband availability. In parallel, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has channelize...

Purpose – The E-Rate program has been widely applauded for helping American schools achieve almost 100 percent internet connectivity, up from 14 percent in 1996. However, mismanagement and complex administration problems have tainted the program's fame, making it a target for criticism by many commentators, scholars and even governmental agencies....

The E-Rate program was mandated by the 1996 Telecommunications Act to bridge the gap in telecommunications and internet access between rich and poor communities in the United States. Though the funding process embraces specific formulas to direct support at the most needy schools and school districts, a concern has been raised that the complex, mul...

Over the past five years, the e-rate program has been instrumental in reducing the digital divide in America's schools. However, right from its inception, a number of controversies have surrounded the program including the right of the FCC to impose a “tax” on the telecommunications industry, the status of the Universal Service Administration Compa...

A number of proposals have been put forward to reform universal service and make it compatible with the new competitive telecommunications environment in the United States. The diversity and apparent contradictions between these proposals makes the public policy dialog scattered and confused. This paper introduces the idea of a ‘possibility space’...

Leading developing countries have recently introduced some reforms in their national intellectual property regimes to harmonize them with international treaties and agreements. However, major differences remain in how these laws are applied to different information industries, and how they are enforced on the ground. While intellectual property law...

Leading developing countries have recently introduced some reforms in their national intellectual property regimes to harmonize them with international treaties and agreements. However, major differences remain in how these laws are applied to different information industries, and how they are enforced on the ground. While intellectual property law...

Reports on research undertaken in a telecommunications management course. Investigates how communication technology can facilitate team learning. Describes a quasi-experiment designed to observe the interaction among the pedagogies of team learning, active learning (the case method), and computer-mediated learning. (PM)

Since the early 1970s, the box-office market shares of Italian films in Italy have greatly diminished, while the shares of American films have comparably increased. Italian films have also lost a once significant market share to American films in the United States. Using an economic model of international trade in media products, we argue that one...

Consistent with predictions of an economic model of international trade in media products, we show that in countries that have relatively high consumer spending on movies-notably the United States-domestically produced movies account for relatively large shares of theater box office receipts. We also find that American-produced movies account for r...

This paper examines the claim that competition between the Bell system and independent telephone companies, and not AT&T's regulated monopoly, was responsible for the rapid growth in telephone penetration in the United States. A mathematical model is developed to test if competition contributed to network expansion, when alternative explanations su...

United States media and computer software industries long have alleged they lose billions of dollars to copyright piracy in China. Negotiations between the countries have had little effect. This article uses two‐level games theory to explore why the United States is reluctant to impose sanctions, and why China is unwilling to take action against th...

Star TV, the first international satellite broadcast system in Asia, has had a profound effect on national broadcasting systems, most of which are rigidly controlled, state owned monopoly organizations. The purpose of this paper was to study the response of national governments, media industries, and the general public to this multichannel direct b...

Over the past five years, the E-Rate program has been instrumental in reducing the digital divide in America's schools: 98 percent of schools in the nation were connected to the Internet by the year 2000. However, the digital divide is only one manifestation of an 'opportunity gap' in the educational system, manifest in wide disparities in the avai...

This paper argues that the critical issue in internet governance is whether key elements of the domain name system are private property, or a public trust. The U.S. government had identified privatization as a key goal in the formation of ICANN. However, privatization can be interpreted in two different ways: as 'non-governmentalism' it implies the...