Competition and Convergence of Internet,Media,and Communication Industries:An Explanation Based on Platform Theory
Since the 1990s,the development of the Internet has given birth to innovative services such as self-media,social media,and instant messaging,making the Internet an important information network that integrates communication and media services.This phenomenon has blurred the boundaries between the Internet and traditional media and communication industries,and brings challenges to antitrust analysis,economic statistics and government supervision.Therefore,studying the dynamics and process of integration not only helps to understand related economic phenomena,but also provides a theoretical basis for the formulation of regulatory and industrial policies.Based on the theoretical framework of two-side market platforms,this paper takes significant historical events in the development of the Internet as a clue,and comprehensively analyzes how technology,policy,and economic factors intertwine to affect the competition among information network platforms.The study finds that:the functional integration caused by technological progress and the relaxation of industrial policies have broken down the barriers between the Internet,communication networks,and media network platforms,and promoted competition among various information platforms;Internet platforms have greater network effects,and their competitive advantages come from three aspects:cost,platform scale,and platform structure;competitive behaviors such as bundling and cross-subsidy are the direct reasons for the extensive integration of the Internet,media,and communication industries.
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