Wheeler Names Wharton Associate Professor Chief Economist at FCC
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler named Wharton School business economics associate professor Katja Seim chief economist, effective July 1. Seim has written several papers on such issues as competition in the online market, said a Wharton webpage; the school is part…
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of the University of Pennsylvania. Much of her published work isn't specific to the communications sector. But a 2011 paper looked at structural changes in the wireless industry from 1996 to 1998. “Entry causes an increase in the number of plans offered, both as a direct result of competition, and as an indirect result of the introduction of digital service that is marketed with more plan offerings,” the paper said. “In markets with more entry, incumbents and entrants spread plans more evenly over the usage spectrum and are more likely to lower prices. However, high-valuation consumers benefit more than low-valuation consumers as firms offer steeper quantity discounts in markets with more entry.” Seim replaces FCC staffer Jonathan Levy, who was acting chief economist and will return to his position as deputy chief economist. “In today’s world, it is vital that public policy and business economics are understood as interrelated fields,” Wheeler said in a Friday news release.