The impact of 5G multi‐access edge computing cooperation announcement on the telecom operators' firm value

Abstract

Since multi‐access edge computing (MEC) was established as a key enabler of 5G, MEC based on 5G networks (5G MEC) has been perceived as a new business opportunity for many industry players, including telecom operators. Numerous 5G MEC cooperation announcements among companies playing their respective roles in the MEC ecosystem have been recently released. However, because of cooperative and competitive relationships among key players in the MEC ecosystem and the uncertainty of 5G MEC, the announcement of 5G MEC cooperation can negatively affect the telecom operators' firm value. This study investigates the market reaction to announcements of 5G MEC cooperation for telecom operators using an event study methodology. The empirical results show that announcements of 5G MEC cooperation have a negative impact on the telecom operators' firm value. The results also show that the early deployment of 5G networks may reduce the negative impact of 5G MEC cooperation announcements by reducing uncertainty.