Market regions
The modern economic landscape of New Eden is divided into numerous market regions, most spanning several constellations. Wares being sold or sought after within the market region are accessible for trade anywhere within the region thanks to interstellar communication methods coupled with reliable and efficient market interface technology.
Before instantaneous communication from one star to another came into being, trading between solar systems was hazardous and time-consuming. Trading with strangers was highly risky due to an abundance of frauds and swindlers. The time it took to find out what stations in nearby solar systems had on offer or demanded, plus the time it then took to strike a deal and ship the products to and fro, stifled space commerce so much it was almost non-existent. Only the adventurous were willing to risk their assets and even their lives by pursuing space trading, but the potential riches involved urged people on and made them yearn for a quicker, easier way to do business. Thus, once interstellar communication devices arrived, they spread out like an epidemic and interstellar commerce quickly followed in their wake.