Worldwide postal operators have been slow to address the threats from and opportunities
created by electronic competition. The European Commission and member states are wrestling with
these issues while at the same time continuing to deal with the interrelated issues of
implementing entry into postal markets and maintaining the universal service obligation. The
Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 in the U.S. exacerbated financial and
managerial problems faced by USPS that result in part from electronic substitution for letter
delivery. A major aim of this book is to examine policies to address postal operations in a
digital world and ways in which postal operators might reinvent themselves to respond to
threats and exploit opportunities. Potential opportunities examined include parcels e-commerce
digital delivery regulatory innovations and pricing. This book will be of interest to postal
operators regulatory commissions consulting firms competitors and customers experts in the
postal economics law and business and those charged with the responsibility for designing
and implementing postal sector policies. Researchers in regulatory economics transportation
technology and industrial organization will also find considerable food for thought in this
volume.
