ces layer competitor, e.g. adam internet Infrastructure Connectivity retail layer competitor, e.g. Infrastructure layer Subscriber Figure 14.15 A vertically integrated content delivery service provider Vertical Integration A number of vertically integrated players have emerged who not only own telecommunica- tions network infrastructure, but also retail these services and run business for delivery of video and other content over the networks. An example is Telstra in Australia which has an integrated content delivery network as shown in Figure 14.15. Telstra owns network infra- structure and is an ISP providing retail service. It also holds a 50% ownership of Foxtel, a pay TV and cable TV operator. Furthermore, it owns and operates several video-on-demand sites, including BigPond Movies which delivers content to its subscribers. In contrast there are players in Australia who are active only in one of the broadband telecommunications ecosystem layers. Vertical integration may provide an operator with significant competitive advantage vis-à- vis non-integrated players. One example is when streaming video from a competitor is slowed in compared with the operator's own network. Another example is when the content from a competitor counts towards a monthly download limit whereas the operator's associated content does not. Yet another common example is when a vertically integrated service provider bundles services together at a lower cost compared with the sum of the individual services. All these may force an end-user to opt to subscribe to vertically integrated oper- ator services. Portal Ownership Processes of discovery and purchase are part of accessing content by an end-user. These processes may be conducted outside of an operator's area of control: one may search for the content and purchase it directly from a retailer. However at times processes of search and purchase are simpler, or mandatory, through a portal owned operator. An example of such a portal is the Japanese mobile operator Docomo's i-mode. This port