How Efficient is a Contestable Natural Monopoly?

14 Pages Posted: 19 Jan 2000

See all articles by Alfons J. Weichenrieder

Alfons J. Weichenrieder

Goethe University Frankfurt - Department of Applied Econometrics and International Economic Policy; Vienna University of Economics and Business; CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute)

Date Written: May 1999

Abstract

This paper considers the efficiency of a contestable natural monopoly if consumers are heterogeneous and the monopolist can differentiate prices imperfectly. With restricted entry, the standard result in this case is that the monopoly offers a menu of price-quantity combinations which leads to the well-known 'no-distortion-at-the-top' pricing. Low demand consumers are induced to consume less than their first-best quantity, while high demand consumers buy a quantity where their marginal willingness to pay equals marginal cost. The paper shows that this type of inefficiency may also appear in a contestable market. Depending on cost and demand structures, first best efficiency can also be a sustainable equilibrium. However, due to the existence of a continuum of equilibria, first best efficiency is never guaranteed. Most notably, even a stable 'distortion-at-the-top' result is possible.

Keywords: natural monopoly, contestability, contract theory

JEL Classification: D42, D82

Suggested Citation

Weichenrieder, Alfons J., How Efficient is a Contestable Natural Monopoly? (May 1999). CESifo Working Paper Series No. 186, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=200030 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.200030

Alfons J. Weichenrieder (Contact Author)

Goethe University Frankfurt - Department of Applied Econometrics and International Economic Policy ( email )

United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.uni-frankfurt.de/fb02/weichenrieder/

Vienna University of Economics and Business ( email )

Welthandelsplatz 1
Vienna, Wien 1020
Austria

CESifo (Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute) ( email )

Poschinger Str. 5
Munich, DE-81679
Germany

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
667
Abstract Views
4,041
Rank
72,527
PlumX Metrics