News, Studies, and Updates

Key Cost Drivers of Mobile Wireless Services in Canada: Implications for Pricing

Categories: Uncategorized

October 5, 2020 - Mark Meitzen and Nicholas Crowley

TELUS, a Canadian national telecommunications company, engaged Dr. Mark Meitzen and Nick Crowley of Christensen Associates to conduct a benchmarking analysis of wireless telecommunications cost drivers in G7 nations.

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Christensen Associates Benchmarks Wireless Telecom Cost Drivers for Canada

Categories: News, Studies

February 5, 2020 - Mark Meitzen and Nicholas Crowley

TELUS, a Canadian national telecommunications company, engaged Dr. Mark Meitzen and Nick Crowley of Christensen Associates to conduct a benchmarking analysis of wireless telecommunications cost drivers in G7 nations.

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Christensen Associates Announces Promotions and Title Changes

Categories: Company Updates

January 15, 2019

Christensen Associates is pleased to announce promotions for several of our economists.

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Christensen Associates Helps Eversource Companies Win Performance-Based Ratemaking Plans

Categories: News

November 30, 2017 - Mark Meitzen and Carl Degen

On November 30, 2017, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities accepted a proposed five-year performance-based ratemaking mechanism for NSTAR Electric Company and Western Massachusetts Electric Company (Eversource).

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Many New Faces Joining Christensen Associates

Categories: Company Updates

May 26, 2017

Dr. Kevin Roth and Corey Lott, with dissertation defense imminent, will be joining the firm this summer. We also look forward to working with our new staff economists, Paul Arbaje and Drew McCabe.

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FCC Relies Heavily on Christensen Associates’ Analysis in Recent Price-Cap Decision

Categories: News

May 1, 2017 - Mark Meitzen

The Federal Communications Commission established a new price-cap formula for telecommunications business data services that adopted the Meitzen-Schoech preferred approach.

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Christensen Associates Submits Report on Postal Service Price Cap

Categories: News, Studies

March 20, 2017 - Mark Meitzen and A. Thomas Bozzo

As part of the Postal Regulatory Commission’s ten-year review of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, Christensen Associates submitted a report that analyzes the current Postal Service price cap and discusses the merits of alternative forms of price regulation for the future.

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Christensen Associates Help Modernize the U.S. Postal Service's International Mail Reporting System

Categories: News

June 23, 2016 - Sam Cutting, Joe Henningfield, and Patrick Fogarty

The Postal Regulatory Commission has approved Christensen Associates' modernization of the U.S. Postal Service's measurement and reporting of outbound international mail.

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Christensen Associates Assists the Postal Service Office of Inspector General in Analyzing Price Cap Issues

Categories: News, Studies

August 17, 2015 - Mark Meitzen and Casey Schuster

In response to a request by Senator Thomas Carper, the Postal Service OIG engaged Christensen Associates to update and extend a 2013 analysis of the Postal Service price cap system. The update confirms that the current price cap regulation is financially unsustainable.

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Michael Ty Clark Joining Christensen Associates

Categories: Company Updates

May 26, 2015

Michael Ty Clark will be joining the Christensen Associates’ team in July.

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Case Study: Vehicle Registration Compliance for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Categories: Studies

February 12, 2015 - , Dave Armstrong, , Jeff Carroll, Travis Grau, , Teresa Sholts, and Brad Wagner

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation hired Christensen Associates to conduct a study to estimate the number of automobiles and light trucks on the roads without current registrations, and determine the reasons for non-compliance.

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Michael Naaman and Kenneth Flamm Show that Sub-Regressions can be Statistically Unreliable

Categories: Studies

December 17, 2014 - and Ken Flamm

Dr. Naaman and Dr. Flamm demonstrate that so-called sub-regressions can be statistically unreliable when based on too small subsamples in antitrust class certification.

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Christensen Associates Employee Giving Recognized by the United Way

Categories: Company Updates

December 15, 2014 - Carl Degen

Christensen Associates staff were recognized by the United Way of Dane County with five awards at a recent luncheon.

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Christensen Associates Unveils Updated Website

Categories: Company Updates

December 1, 2014

We at Christensen Associates are pleased to be bringing this new, updated website live.

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US Postal Service OIG Exploring 3D Printing

Categories: News, Studies

August 12, 2014 - Sam Cutting, Brad Wagner, and Mark Meitzen

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released its white paper on the advancing technology of 3D printing. The USPS OIG contracted with Christensen Associates to assist on this study. Our analysis of commercial package volume data showed that 3D printing could lead to an increase in annual revenue of as much as $485 million due to new package shipments.

The ubiquitous first- and last-mile postal network would be a strong asset for connecting emerging 3D printing businesses with their customers. Additionally, excess space in postal facilities offers tantalizing partnership opportunities for businesses committed to fast, streamlined delivery of 3D-printed goods.

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Christensen Associates Now 100% Employee-Owned

Categories: Company Updates, News

June 8, 2014 - Dianne Christensen, Lau Christensen, and Doug Caves

Laurits R. Christensen Associates, Inc., a full-service, applied economics consulting firm, announced that the company transferred 100% ownership to its employees in March 2014.

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Minnesota Freight Rail Economic Development (FRED) Study Released

Categories: News, Studies

November 22, 2013 - Mark Meitzen, Casey Schuster, and Jeff Carroll

Christensen Associates was part of a team that studied the potential for freight rail economic development in the state of Minnesota. The project, sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Transportation in conjunction with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, identified specific opportunities for more effective collaboration among shippers, railroads, and economic development agencies, and transportation agencies. The recommendations made in the report can lead to expanded local rail access, complementary business development, and improved rail and intermodal service options.

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Final Report on Preserving and Protecting Freight Infrastructure and Routes Published by the Transportation Research Board

Categories: News, Studies

April 19, 2012 - Mark Meitzen

A consortium led by Christensen Associates investigated issues related to freight corridor encroachment. The objective of this 16-month research, funded by theTransportation Research Board's National Cooperative Freight Research Program (NCFRP), was to provide guidance to public and private stakeholders on how to develop, preserve, protect, and enhance freight transportation infrastructure and routes for all modes of transportation. The final report is now available.

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Christensen Associates Finds that $2.5 Billion of U.S. Postal Service Costs Are Tied To Current Service-Standard Levels

Categories: News, Studies

January 9, 2011 - A. Thomas Bozzo, Sam Cutting, Travis Grau, and Joe Henningfield

Christensen Associates investigated areas of potential cost savings for a hypothetical one-day relaxation of service standards—defined as the number of days from entry of the mail into the postal system until delivery. We identified approximately $2.5 billion in costs for FY 2010 that are partly or wholly related to service standards. However, because of the interrelation of functions, not all of these costs are available as potential cost savings from extending service standards by one day.

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Staggers Act Articles and Research Papers

Categories: Studies

January 3, 2011 - Doug Caves, Lau Christensen, Kelly Eakin, A. Thomas Bozzo, and Mark Meitzen

Christensen Associates researched and forecast the the impact of the Staggers Rail Act of 1980. Thirty years on, they return to the issues of railroad productivity, provide updated analysis, and review how well they foresaw the impacts of deregulation on the U.S. Freight Railroad industry.

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