This compilation of original essays by an international cast of economists, regulators and industry practitioners analyzes some of the major issues now facing postal and delivery services throughout the world as competition from information and communication technologies has increased.

Contents: Preface 1. Competitive Strategies under FMO and Intermodal Competition Michael A. Crew and Paul R. Kleindorfer 2. Invoicing in 16 European Countries Kari Elkelä 3. Does the Level of Price Elasticity Change with the Progression of Substitution? Heikki Nikali 4. Understanding the Impact of E-Substitution on Letter Mail Volumes: A Multi-Country Panel Study Meloria Meschi, Matthew Cherry, Carla Pace and Milena Petrova 5. The Future of the Portuguese Postal Sector and the Role of CTT Alberto Pimenta and António Manuel Amaral 6. Optimal Pricing for Mail and Welfare Implications in a Communications Market Philippe De Donder, Helmuth Cremer, Paul Dudley and Frank Rodriguez 7. UK Letter Mail Demand: A Content-based Time-series Analysis Using Overlapping Market Survey Statistical Techniques Catherine Cazals, Jean-Pierre Florens, Leticia Veruete-McKay, Frank Rodriguez and Soterios Soteri 8. Postal Markets and Electronic Substitution: Implications for Regulatory Practices and Institutions in Europe Martin Maegli, Christian Jaag, Martin Koller and Urs Trinkner 9. How Many Outlets if the USP Does Not Face Any USO? A Cross-country Comparison Claire Borsenberger, Denis Joram and Bernard Roy 10. Costing the Universal Service: Evaluating the Demand Response Isabelle Carslake, George Houpis and Christian Strobel 11. State Funding and Cost Sharing of the USO Under the 2008 EU Postal Services Directive Richard Eccles 12. Econometric Models and the Evolution of the French Post Office Network François Boldron, Frédérique Fève, Jean-Pierre Florens, Clémence Panet-Amaro and Christophe Valognes 13. Evaluating the Demand Effects of Reductions in the Frequency of Delivery Service Edward S. Pearsall and Charles L. Trozzo 14. The UK Service Obligation: What Do the Public Think and How Do They Value It? Rob Sheldon and Alison Lawrence 15. Assessing Anti-Competitive Behavior in a Postal Market Mary Davies 16. Price Discrimination in the Postal Sector and Competition Law Damien Geradin 17. Price Discrimination and Price Differentiation Within Direct Mail Felipe Flórez Duncan, Dawn Longman, Leonardo Mautino and Paul Dudley 18. The Economics of Postal Payment Channels and EU Postal VAT Tim Walsh 19. Impact of VAT Exemptions in the Postal Sector on Competition and Welfare Helmut Dietl, Christian Jaag, Markus Lang, Martin Lutzenberger and Urs Trinkner 20. Competition and Regulation in the Italian Postal Market Vincenzo Visco Comandini and Francesca Mazzarella 21. Strategic Responses to Recession: A Comparison of the United States Postal Service to Leading Companies Norma Nieto, Keith Strange and William Takis 22. The United States Postal Service Business Model: Lessons from the American Railroad Industry? David M. Levy and Matthew D. Field 23. Financial Inclusion and Postal Banking: Is the Survival of Posts Also There? José Ansón and Joёlle Toledano 24. The Dual Trend Towards Operational Efficiencies and Social Regulation in European Postal Services Dominique Bailly and Margaux Meidinger 25. Sustainable Growth and the Postal Sector: Universal Service versus Environmental Protection François Boldron, Claire Borsenberger, Helmuth Cremer, Philippe De Donder, Denis Joram and Bernard Roy 26. Offering Sensor Network Services Using the Postal Delivery Vehicle Fleet Michael J. Ravnitzky