Denmark has been at the vanguard when it comes to changes to letter delivery and digitisation of letter services. But new changes to the universal service obligation will have far-reaching implications for letter and parcel delivery in Denmark. Mindaugas Cerpickis and Jacob Østermann from Copenhagen Economics analyse the changes and implications for the postal world.
- Background to the USO being "abolished"
- Post Denmark's freedom to vary letter pricing and delivery schedules to save costs
- Digitisation of government communications
- USO as we know it being abolished
- Drastic letter volume declines
- Parcel volumes reaching parity with letter volumes
- Internet penetration in Denmark
- e-Boks digital mailbox
- Centralising government services
- Replacing USO with tender process for targeted services
- Market delivering services
- Post Danmark's ability to provide USO without government support
- EU Postal Services Directive and UPU requirements
- Three aspects of USO being put out to tender: island communities, services for the blind, and international mail
- Expectations that the market will cover the rest of the USO
- Letterboxes and parcel lockers in island communities
- Universal access to delivery infrastructure
- Monitoring the market to see if there are any shortcomings in providing letter services
- Could the Danish model be used in other postal markets?
- Future of postal regulation
- Understanding social expectations of postal services