Cooperative Private Next-Generation Access Deployment -- A Relational View

World-wide deregulation activities on incumbent infrastructures educed competitive broadband markets in many countries around the world. However, as the customer´s data demand exceeds the technological capabilities of legacy infrastructures, large public or private investments in fiber-optic networks are required. In this paper we employ the relational view concept in order to assess how cooperation between private market players can contribute to reaching national broadband deployment goals. We base our findings on a combined grounded theory and case study approach with twenty-three managing experts from major telecommunication companies of the German broadband market. Our results indicate that the relational view concept can contribute to a better understanding of cooperative private Next-Generation Access deployment. Based on the result of our analysis we have been able to derive exemplary fields of action for regulators and carrier management for improving preconditions of cooperative broadband deployment.