Jonathan W Williams

Jonathan W Williams is a Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for Regulatory and Industrial Studies (CRIS) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He holds a B.A. in Economics and B.S. in Applied Mathematics from Ohio University, and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Virginia. His career includes six years at the University of Georgia before joining UNC in 2015.

His research focuses on industrial organization, applied econometrics, and regulatory policy, with specializations in telecommunications, airline markets, and broadband networks. He has published extensively on topics such as price discrimination in airlines, consumer behavior analysis using digital data, and regulatory challenges in network industries.

Williams’ work often intersects with policy-relevant issues, including the impact of gatekeeper behavior in telecom markets, the effects of video piracy on content industries, and the economic implications of broadband pricing strategies. He leads CRIS, which focuses on industrial organization research with a public policy lens. His collaborative projects include improving broadband network reliability through proactive maintenance strategies.

His research portfolio includes over 30 peer-reviewed articles, spanning from 2008 to 2025, with recent emphasis on telecommunications regulation, airline industry dynamics, and digital market behaviors. He has received grants for collaborative research on infrastructure and network economics.