The effects of the introduction of the European Digital Single Market of mobile roaming in the Netherlands: the impact over the social values Master thesis submitted to Delft University of Technology in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in Engineering and Policy Analysis Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management by Juan Pablo Nieto Stabile Student number: 4458273 To be defended in public on August 22 nd 2017 Graduation committee Chairperson : Prof. dr. R. W. Künneke, Economics of Technology and Innovation First Supervisor : Dr. ir. B. Enserink, Policy Analysis Second Supervisor : Dr. A. F. Correljé, Economics of Technology and Innovation External Supervisor : S. Woutersen, DTVP/Authority for Consumers & Markets This page was intentionally left blank 2 Preface Caminante no hay camino – Walker, there is no path. Antonio Machado (1875-1939) Wanderer, your footprints Caminante, son tus huellas are the only way and no other. el camino y nada más; Wanderer, there is no way. Caminante, no hay camino, you make your way by going farther. se hace camino al andar. By going farther, you make your way Al andar se hace el camino, Till looking back at where you've wandered, y al volver la vista atrás You look back on that path you may se ve la senda que nunca Not set foot on from now onward. se ha de volver a pisar. Wanderer, there is no way; Caminante no hay camino Only wake-trails on the sea. sino estelas en la mar. La utopía – The utopia Eduardo Galeano (1940-2015) Utopia is on the horizon. Ella está en el horizonte. I move two steps closer; Me acerco dos pasos, it moves two steps further away. ella se aleja dos pasos más. I walk another ten steps Camino diez pasos and the horizon runs y el horizonte se corre ten steps further away. diez pasos más allá. As much as I may walk, Por mucho que yo camine I will never reach it. nunca la voy a alcanzar. So, what is the point of utopia? ¿Para qué sirve la utopía? The point is this: to keep walking Sirve para eso: para caminar. 3 This page was intentionally left blank 4 Acknowledgements Successfully completing this research has proved a challenging task which demanded active application of all the know-how and skills gained and polished throughout my academic and professional careers. This includes knowledge obtained during the Engineering and Policy Analysis Master at TPM Faculty of TU Delft, but also what was learned in Uruguay through the telecommunication engineering courses, previous job experiences and research developed in specific areas of roaming, economics and social theories. Although this thesis is individual, reaching the goal of successful completion was not, and is not, a one-man feat. A number of wonderful human beings and organizations were involved in making this research what it is today, and trusted my skills, knowledge and judgement to deliver a valuable scientific contribution to the discussion. In this short summary, I would like to mention the people who have had a part in making this thesis. Firstly, I would like to thank ACM for taking me in as an intern for the past five months. Having the opportunity to work with civil servants in a National Regulatory Authority; gaining access to the company’s social network, being involved in RLAH discussions for the Netherlands and the EU and trusting and encouraging this research, makes me grateful and proud to have worked for you. A specific thank you is in order for Sander, who gave me the internship opportunity and with it the chance to be involved in state-of-the-art discussions, trusting me to travel abroad, as an intern and allowing flexibility during the stages of thesis subject development. All this gave me the confidence required to achieve the goal of a high-quality research. I would also like to acknowledge Michiel, Marjolijn, Joos, Johan, Ruben, Jessica, and all the wonderful team at ACM who warmly welcomed me and helped make this thesis what it is. Secondly, thank you to the interviewees and experts for their willingness and selflessness. Even though they occupy strategic positions in different organizations, they agreed to dedicate time out of their busy schedules to provide their knowledge and insights for this project. Students, at times, struggle to find experts and institutions who are able and willing to make time for thesis discussions. The following professionals did not waver in their determination to help me, and for that a special acknowledgement is due: Elisabeth, Oliver, Francesco, Laszlo, Paul K, Paul V S, Bart H, Bart V, Walter, Raymond, Jan, Inge, Guillermo, Stefan, Jeroen, Yves, Morgane, Sergio, Jolien, and to those interviewees that preferred to remain anonymous. I can only hope this finished product will make them proud to have been a part of the project, and that it finds a way of helping them reach institutional or personal goals. Thirdly, thank you to my supervisors. Bert, as first supervisor, has helped from the beginning of the research; keeping constant contact, helping with work, timeline and length of research strategies, providing feedback on quality aspects, scope limitation and ensuring a cohesive narrative throughout the text. As first supervisor, aside from his invaluable involvement in this project, he has also been an excellent professor during a number of Master courses. The knowledge obtained during those classes proved highly applicable as theoretical input for this proposal. As second supervisor, Aad was such great inspiration during his Economics & Regulations course during the 1st year of the master, that after taking the course, I reached a personal academic milestone and chose the minor for the program; Economics & Finance. Making this decision is what finally drove the topic of the thesis to be the project presented today. Aad’s involvement with this thesis is not limited to the inspiration given that first semester of class, but also to the valuable time spent listening and suggesting ideas in both applicable theories and scope of research. Rolf, as chair, has had a strong influence in modifications done to this thesis in terms of scope, has added enormous value in organization and encouragement and also given me certainty and assurance, during feedback sessions, to see this project through. He has also been part of the Economics & Regulations course, and has motivated me to address the social aspects of regulation. Fourthly, recognition is mandatory to the TPM faculty; professors, students and staff, for their involvement into developing this thesis. Relating specifically to the application of the BWM, I would like to thank Jafar, Mehrnaz and Duygu, who were kind enough to give their time to help me understand and apply the method. Regarding the survey, I would like to thank Niek, for providing the required software and all my 5 student colleagues who were used as beta testers. For social value theories, the help of Udo as lighthouse in the turbulent waters of philosophy, and the contribution of Christine to new theories, proved invaluable for this project. I also feel necessary to acknowledge and thank both my student colleagues, and my student friends. They have provided relevant input in the research, and have also encouraged me during the process to see it successfully completed. Fifthly, I would like to thank those who helped me in strategic parts of the thesis, specially to Viviana and Noelia, who kindly provided assistance with their amazing English proficiency and influenced many of the writing parts of this research. Finally, I left this chapter to thank the three most important people who have encouraged me through this Dutch academic journey: my mother, my father and Priscila. As an only child, I know very well of my mother’s emotional struggles when I decided to move to Delft and give a fresh start to the next chapter of my life. It was a difficult step which she took selflessly with courage, helping me reach my objectives and without limiting my future. My father and she always encouraged me to dream big and spread my wings to become who I was meant to be; even when that constant encouragement meant physical separation from each other. My mother should know that who I am today, and what I have successfully accomplished would not have been possible without her unwavering support and abnegation. There are not enough words to accurately describe how much I would have loved for my father to see this achievement and to be with him during the dissertation of this thesis. While I was growing up, his involvement with my education was unfaltering, which saw him working 12-hour day shifts to ensure I always had the best education possible. Even though he is not physically present, I hope he is still, somehow, able to see this accomplishment and feels proud of what I have achieved with his help and sacrifice. Last, but certainly not least, thank you to my girlfriend Priscila. The decision to study abroad had already been taken by the time I met her, so we both knew it would be a challenge to successfully maintain a long- distance relationship in the long term. However, her staggering kindness, values and above all, encouragement, proved fundamental for the success of this thesis and to cement us as a team. Through this process, she has become a personal motivator during times of need and hesitation, giving advice and suggestions for this research and also for the overall experience that has been moving away from Uruguay. I hope the completion of this project serves as validation to all her hard work and genuine reassurance.