There are two active IIC chapters in North America where the IIC has looked at issues such as innovation, investment incentives and internet governance as well as policy and regulatory decision making in the emerging and developed American markets.
US spectrum auction starts slowly The latest US airwave licence auction got off to a modest start with initial bids in the first two rounds totalling just $42 million and about one-third of the licences getting no opening bid at all, notes Fortune.
Manuel Kohnstamm, Senior Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Liberty Global
The European Commission has opened a consultation on a coordinated introduction of 5G networks in Europe.
A joint paper by the French Competition Authority (Autorité de la concurrence) and the German Competition Authority (Bundeskartellamt) on data and competition, provides background on the approach to data likely to be taken by two of the most active competition authorities in the EU, a blog at Bird & Bird notes.
A US appeals court has upheld a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruling that broadband markets can be competitive even when there is only one internet provider. The FCC can “rationally choose which evidence to believe among conflicting evidence”, the court ruling said.
A deal to make public sector websites more accessible – particularly to those with disabilities – has been agreed by the three European Union institutions, notes Ars Technica.
There are a number of developments underway in Bahrain which will improve both services and infrastructure, notes BuddeComm.
The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) has published draft guidelines on the implementation by regulators of new EU net neutrality rules and is seeking the views of stakeholders, with the consultation closing on 18 July.
It appears that three of the nation’s largest cable companies are not planning to bid on millimetre-wave spectrum licences in the FCC’s 5g spectrum auction, which starts on 14 November, reports Fierce Wireless.
Brazil's National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) has approved a regulation to ensure access to telecoms services and equipment for people with hearing, visual, motor and cognitive disabilities on an equal basis with others, both in urban and rural areas, notes Telecom Paper.
Anatel, Brazil's national telecoms Agency (Anatel) has approved an investment program and corrective measures proposed by operator Oi and worth an estimated BRL3.2 billion, notes Telecom Paper.
ANTONIO GARCIA ZABALLOS of the Inter-American Development Bank discusses shortcomings in Latin America and the Caribbean that could hold up investment.
January 2018, Volume 45 Issue 4
The dust has settled on the world’s first auction that incentivised broadcasters to relinquish spectrum for wireless use. HOWARD SYMONS and PAUL MILGROM, who were part of the auction team, reflect on the process and the implications.
January 2018, Volume 45 Issue 4
Canada has embarked on an ambitious universal broadband policy that could be a model for other countries, as HEATHER HUDSON details.
April 2017, Volume 45 Issue 1
Two major planks of US privacy regulation, including controversial new broadband rules, are discussed by AARON BURSTEIN and JOSHUA BERCU.
January 2017, Volume 44 Issue 4
The factors that combined to help elect the new US president have the internet as a common denominator, reckons Eli Noam - and these factors are now inherent in an internet-based economy.
January 2017, Volume 44 Issue 4
Zero rating is a highly controversial aspect of the internet. AUGUSTO PRETA and PENG PENG provide a cost-benefit analysis amid the context of net neutrality.
July 2016, Volume 44 Issue 02
The US FCC is proposing a new name and a new regulatory framework for ‘special access’ services, as JONATHAN JACOB NADLER explains.
October 2016, Volume 44 Issue 03
How can network operators and service providers settle value for their wares in a converged world, where services are network agnostic? sumit sharma presents a bargaining framework that could unite all players in a ‘game’
April 2016, Volume 44 Issue 01
Should policymakers 'do what is right' and promote all-fibre broadband networks? Catherine Middleton weighs up the arguments
April 2016, Volume 44 Issue 01
As the OECD prepares for a ministerial meeting on the digital economy, Jørgen Abild Andersen argues that the highest level of coordination among many government departments is needed to deliver its aims
April 2016, Volume 44 Issue 01
The hype about the next generation of mobile technology is likely to gather pace in the next few years, but currently there is a lot of scepticism about whether it qualifies as an integrated, great leap in progress, as Marc Beishon finds in this round-up
July 2016, Volume 44 Issue 02
Martin Cave and William Webb, authors of a new book on spectrum management, set out trends in usage and an agenda to improve spectrum use
April 2016, Volume 44 Issue 01
As regulators start to fundamentally review their remits, Chris Chapman, the incoming president of the IIC and chair of Australia’s ACMA, details the extent of digital disruption and possible regulatory response, in this two-part article.
January 2016, Volume 43 Issue 04
Are regulations being applied to cloud computing in a way that stimulates innovation, asks Kuan Hon.
January 2016, Volume 43 Issue 04
Jean-Pierre Blais reports from Canada on 'discoverability' and the paradox of finding good television content in an age of seeming abundance
April 2016, Volume 44 Issue 01
Ian Hargreaves pieces together projects and evidence that are defining a crucial, technology driven sector of the economy.
January 2016, Volume 43 Issue 04
The internet governance calendar is more packed than ever. Wolfgang Kleinwachter charts the key events that could shape an agenda for 2025.
March 2015, Volume 43 Issue 01
The dust has finally begun to settle on the new US and European net neutrality laws. Richard Feasey compares and contrasts
April 2016, Volume 44 Issue 01
The modern sharing economy is small but growing - and enabled by the internet. John Ure discusses its possible impact and where regulation may be heading, with particular reference to Asia.
March 2015, Volume 43 Issue 01
The rise of content and media intermediaries such as Google and Facebook as digital gatekeepers raises major policy and regulation concerns, writes Robin Mansell.
March 2015, Volume 43 Issue 01
Continuing our coverage of spectrum auctions, Stefan Zehle explores further the pitfalls and implications for the public purse, drawing on key examples from the past decade.
March 2015, Volume 43 Issue 01
Matt Hatton reviews the main regulatory trends in the world of M2M and the internet of things.
March 2015, Volume 43 Issue 01
The growing interest in using pilotless drone aircraft is bringing new regulatory challenges, writes Leonidas Kanellos.
June 2015, Volume 43 Issue 02
Sumit Sharma extends the argument for using competition policy rather than regulation for convergent networks by looking at oligopoly models.
June 2015, Volume 43 Issue 02
H Sama Nwana makes a passionate case for promoting TMT and not just telecoms in Africa – a case that could benefit all developing nations.
June 2015, Volume 43 Issue 02
Jonathan Jacob Nadler says the FCC’s new Open Internet Remand Order makes five fundamental changes, faces five legal challenges – and will have five unintended consequences.
June 2015, Volume 43 Issue 02
Universal access and service programmes are vital to extending broadband to all parts of a country. Antonio GarcIa Zaballos discusses the findings of a comparative report.
June 2015, Volume 43 Issue 02
Andrus Ansip (left), European commissioner leading the digital single market project team, and Günther Oettinger, commissioner for the digital economy and society, at the strategy launch in May.
June 2015, Volume 43 Issue 02
With pressure mounting for new personal data privacy rules, Nancy Libin and Joshua Bercu assess the current state of play in the US and EU.
June 2015, Volume 43 Issue 02
The victory for net neutrality for pressure groups such as Credo owes much to President Obama. And a paper from the Berkman Center for Internet and Society finds that “the net neutrality debate is the first major example of a successful campaign to achieve an affirmative rule change in the teeth of well-organised lobbying opposition”.
March 2015, Volume 43 Issue 01
Trends in internet video services are becoming apparent, and regulatory and competition agencies need to respond, as Augusto preta reports.
June 2015, Volume 43 Issue 02
There were two key themes at the IIC’s annual Telecommunications and Media Forum (TMF) in Washington, DC as Cristina Murroni reports.
March 2015, Volume 43 Issue 01
Commissioner, Mexico’s IFT
January 2016, Volume 43 Issue 04
How can ICT best be deployed to advance the new Sustainable Development Goals? M-H Carolyn Nguyen and Paul Mitchell review the history and current position.
January 2016, Volume 43 Issue 04
CEO of telecoms and media firm, Millicom
January 2016, Volume 43 Issue 04
REGULATORY TRADE-OFFS
Peter Alexiadis concludes his tour of the tradeoffs inherent in communications regulation
NEXT STEPS FOR AUDIOVISUAL
Europe’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive is under review, with global implications
TAKING STOCK OF 5G
5G is likely to be disruptive, but not in all the ways that are currently being put forward
SMARTPHONES: A DIGITAL DIVIDE?
They could be if it’s the only device you have
Should governments be putting more emphasis on industrial policy and developmental approaches in ICT, ask Morten Falch and Anders Henten.
September 2015, Volume 43 Issue 03
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Many of the new SDGs have an explicit role for ICT. What are the issues for making it work?
REGULATION FOR CONVERGENCE
Monica Ariño puts forward three pillars for framework reform in pursuit of convergence
DATA PROTECTION IN EUROPE
The new data protection regulation has got the green light: Maurizio Mensi covers the details
DEALING WITH DIGITAL DISRUPTION
A view from the IIC’s incoming president
Many countries are keen to foster policies that help develop world class ICT centres. To this end, GIUDITTA DE PRATO and DANIEL NEPELSKI describe a European project that maps and measures ICT ‘poles of excellence’.
March 2015, Volume 43 Issue 01
The pressure on terrestrial broadcasters to give spectrum to the mobile sector shows no sign of letting up. Roland Beutler, at Germany's Südwestrundfunk, a regional public broadcaster, puts his side of the debate.
September 2015, Volume 43 Issue 03
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Many of the new SDGs have an explicit role for ICT. What are the issues for making it work?
REGULATION FOR CONVERGENCE
Monica Ariño puts forward three pillars for framework reform in pursuit of convergence
DATA PROTECTION IN EUROPE
The new data protection regulation has got the green light: Maurizio Mensi covers the details
DEALING WITH DIGITAL DISRUPTION
A view from the IIC’s incoming president
With the rise of OTT there's no doubt we are in the midst of transition in telecoms markets - but how best to respond, asks Brian Williamson.
September 2015, Volume 43 Issue 03
REGULATION: A TIPPING POINT
Brian Williamson discusses how OTT is focusing minds on transition in telecoms markets
INTERNET OF THINGS
Part one of a comprehensive briefing on the technical and regulatory issues, by Ian Brown
EUROPE IN THE ROUND
The major communications review in Europe puts global policy trade-offs in focus
MEDIA LITERACY
Engaging children in the digital age
Jerry Power says regulation must change to promote digital ecosystems.
September 2015, Volume 43 Issue 03
PRIVACY REVIEW
How regulation about data privacy is taking shape in the US, and a comparison with Europe
AFRICA’S TMT AGENDA
H Sama Nwana makes a strong case for holistic TMT to reach underserved people
TAMING THE OLIGOPOLISTS
Applying oligopoly competition models to regulate convergent networks
TROUBLE WITH DRONES
Legal and regulatory factors for flying machines
INTERNET GOVERNANCE AGENDA: Amid the many meetings and bodies, an agenda for the next ten years is emerging.
TESTING TELECOMS ASSUMPTIONS
How much of current policy is based on a rigorous evidence base, Roslyn Layton asks.
THE SHARING ECONOMY
John Ure describes the growing impact of the various aspects of the new sharing world.
SPECTRUM AUCTIONS
Key examples for current decision making.
Richard Womersley sets the scene for the upcoming world radio conference, where the agenda for mobile spectrum is likely to dominate proceedings.
September 2015, Volume 43 Issue 03
Stuart Brotman puts forward an index that captures the ‘vitality’ of broadband internet ecosystems in five countries, and which could be a benchmarking model.
June 2015, Volume 43 Issue 02
The IIC’s annual conference in Washington in the autumn brought together many of the world’s top industry figures and regulators. Convergence is still the main game in town – but the focus is shifting to its management. Report by Intermedia editor, Marc Beishon
January 2016, Volume 43 Issue 04
The IIC’s TMF in Washington, DC came at the end of a tumultuous year in world politics, adding spice to the views of the assembled experts.
April 2017, Volume 45 Issue 1
A report on the IIC’s traditional TMF in Washington, by CRISTINA MURRONI
April 2018, Volume 46 Issue 1
The IIC’s annual conference in 2018 was held in Mexico City and, not surprisingly, Latin American developments were prominent. Report by MARC BEISHON.
December/January 2019, Volume 46 Issue 4
There has been rapid progress in more affordable telecoms access and wider coverage in Mexico, but the view of ADRIAAN TEN KATE is that reforms – aimed mainly at establishing equal access at competitive prices – may fail to address current and future convergence and technology challenges.
October 2018, Volume 46 Issue 3
Where cables land: a still from an impressive animation by Business Insider on submarine cables around the world, produced from TeleGeography's Submarine Cable Map, a free resource that allows data to be downloaded.
September 2015, Volume 43 Issue 03
Pai was appointed as a commissioner by Barack Obama in 2012. Among his views: “Given how rapidly the communications sector is changing, the FCC should do everything it can to ensure that its rules reflect the realities of the current marketplace and basic principles of economics.”
April 2017, Volume 45 Issue 1
We got there in the end: The European Commission makes a big point about ‘roam like at home’, the end of mobile roaming charges in the European Union on 15 June, a ban that has taken ten years to negotiate.
July 2017, Volume 45 Issue 2
US Communications Ambassador
July 2016, Volume 44 Issue 02
With Juan Wilches, commissioner at Colombia’s telecoms regulator, CRC.
October 2016, Volume 44 Issue 03
How should telecoms regulators pave the way for the digital economy? JUAN MANUEL WILCHES at Colombia’s regulator says a change of mindset is needed.
October 2018, Volume 46 Issue 3
The digital switchover is still hard for some regions such as the Caribbean, where there are many issues to be resolved, as SONIA GILL explains.
April 2017, Volume 45 Issue 1
Wireless operators got what they were asking for when the FCC voted 3:1 to deny requests from Twilio and others to classify text messaging services as “telecommunications services”, which would subject them to harsher regulation, reports FierceWireless.
The FCC has published more on its plans to hold a major 5G spectrum auction in 2019 by adopting new rules that will promote the availability of high-band millimetre wave spectrum for the next generation of wireless connectivity.
US politicians have pressed AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile US and Verizon for answers about their network prioritisation policies, after a study found the operators slowed speeds for certain data services but not others, reports Mobile World Live.
The latest US airwave licence auction got off to a modest start with initial bids in the first two rounds totalling just $42 million and about one-third of the licences getting no opening bid at all, notes Fortune.
It was only going to be a matter of time, but the telco industry is taking California to court over the decision to reinstate net neutrality rules, reports Telecoms.com.
The Federal Institute of Telecommunications (Ifetel) in Mexico has authorised the last frequency changes of two digital terrestrial television stations operating in the 600 MHz band, which completes the release of the band, reports Vallarta Daily.
It appears that three of the nation’s largest cable companies are not planning to bid on millimetre-wave spectrum licences in the FCC’s 5g spectrum auction, which starts on 14 November, reports Fierce Wireless.
Nearly half of all cellphone calls in the US next year will come from scammers, according to First Orion, a company that provides phone carriers and their customers caller ID and call blocking technology. The Washington Post reports that the company “projects an explosion of incoming spam calls, marking a leap from 3.7% of total calls in 2017 to more than 29% this year, to a projected 45% by early 2019”
A US appeals court has upheld a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruling that broadband markets can be competitive even when there is only one internet provider. The FCC can “rationally choose which evidence to believe among conflicting evidence”, the court ruling said.
Mozilla, the developer of the Firefox browser, has filed a legal brief against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), accusing the telecoms regulator of abdicating its role, ignoring public comments and failing to understand how the internet actually works, notes the Register.
It’s been four years since US regulator, the FCC, voted to make 100 MHz of spectrum in the 5 GHz band available for unlicensed use, but one incumbent user says it has recently measured a “dramatic rise” in the 5.1 GHz noise level, reports Cablefax.
Microsoft’s president, Brad Smith, has called for regulation of facial recognition software in the US, reports VentureBeat. “In a democratic republic, there is no substitute for decision making by our elected representatives regarding the issues that require the balancing of public safety with the essence of our democratic freedoms.
Former chairman of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), Keith Mitchell, says Caricom is soon to launch a multistakeholder partnership to fast-track specific elements of the “single ICT space”, notes the Jamaica Observer.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has published a digital report on the future of broadcasting in Canada. The report proposes new tools and regulatory approaches to support the production and promotion of audio and video content made by and for Canadians.
AT&T has given up its years-long quest to hinder the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) authority to regulate broadband providers, reports Ars Technica.
A US telecoms official has tipped spectrum sharing to play a key role in the government’s plan to alleviate a shortage of available commercial airwaves in the country, notes Mobile World Live.
The Colombian government has formally withdrawn an October 2017 bill seeking to merge two of the country’s regulatory bodies, TeleGeography reports.
The US FCC is proposing to modernise children’s TV rules in a move that is needed now more than ever, according to an article in the Washington Examiner.
In a 5-4 ruling, the US Supreme Court has decided that the government generally needs a warrant in order to access cell site location information, which is automatically generated whenever a mobile phone connects to a cell tower and is stored by wireless carriers for years, reports Wired.
Deployment of 4G is lagging in Central America and the region needs to up its game or risk putting its future economic development at risk, the GSMA has stated in a report.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted a notice of proposed rulemaking to update the framework for licensing educational broadband service (EBS) spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band.
The US Senate has voted 52-47 to disapprove the FCC’s recent order replacing 2015’s net neutrality rules, “a pleasant surprise for internet advocates and consumers throughout the country”, reports TechCrunch.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved a plan by Elon Musk’s SpaceX to build a global broadband network using satellites, reports Reuters.
Four agencies looking to band together to create a combined radar system want more information from commercial spectrum users and the public on their plan for the project, notes FWC.
An article by Anya Schiffrin in Policy Syndicate considers that for more than a decade, Ecuadorian journalists have increasingly felt the effects of repressive media and speech laws that were supposedly enacted in the "public interest”.
California is among the US states that could reintroduce net neutrality following the FCC’s overturning of the Open Internet Order.
The GSMA has put forward a series of regulatory and public policy proposals to boost Colombia’s digital economy ahead of next month’s presidential elections, reports Telecompaper.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is seeking comment on proposed application and bidding procedures for the auctions of the 28 GHz and 24 GHz spectrum bands to promote the development of 5G technology, the internet of things, and other advanced spectrum-based services.
A system to alert Canadians to natural disasters and other public safety emergencies via their smartphones is another step closer to reality, reports the Financial Post.
Susan Crawford, the Harvard law professor and proponent of public telecoms investment, has used her latest column in Wired to attack privatisation of public assets.
A US federal appeals court has rolled back rules intended to deter irritating telemarketing robocalls, saying they were too broad, notes the Washington Post.
The GSMA has issued a report, “Effective spectrum pricing in Latin America: policies to support better quality and more affordable mobile services”, highlighting that spectrum policies in Latin America are impacting the delivery of quality mobile services to consumers across the region.
Telecoms and law professor Rob Frieden has written about a US National Security Council initiative that identifies the security and public safety benefits in having a government owned 5G wireless network leased by commercial ventures.
Researchers at the Berkman Klein Center in the US have found advantages for consumers in community fibre broadband compared with commercial offerings.
The US FCC has issued a plan for a new Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA), part of reforms for the agency in organisational structures, authorities, and practices “to better incorporate economic analysis as well as data management as part of the agency’s regular operation”.
A group of 21 US state attorney generals have filed suit to challenge the FCC’s decision to do away with net neutrality while Democrats said they needed just one more vote in the Senate to repeal the FCC ruling, reports Reuters.
As expected, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted on party lines “to restore the longstanding, bipartisan light-touch regulatory framework that has fostered rapid internet growth, openness, and freedom for nearly 20 years”.
Rob Strayer, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Cyber and International Communications and Information Policy, US State Department
The US Federal Communications Commission’s Connect2Health Task Force (C2HFCC) has announced that the FCC and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have joined forces, signing a memorandum of understanding that will focus on how increasing broadband access and adoption in rural areas can improve the lives of rural cancer patients.
As expected, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has loosened media ownership regulations in the US after a 3-2 vote by its executive which, while an expected development under the Trump administration, has drawn a mixed reaction, notes Rapid TV News.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has enacted reforms that it says will better enable providers to invest in next-generation networks. The FCC is also seeking comment on additional reforms, including how the FCC can expedite rebuilding and repairing broadband infrastructure after natural disasters.
US equities indices are poised for a revamp to keep up with the evolving nature of communications, reports the Financial Times.
FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, wants Apple to turn on the FM radio that’s hidden inside iPhones, reports The Verge. In a statement, he asked that Apple “reconsider its position, given the devastation wrought by hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.”
Bolivia's telecommunications regulation authority, ATT, and the ITU have issued a statement confirming that they will work together to promote the goal of ending international roaming charges between countries in the Andean community, reports Telecompaper.
Colombia’s Ministry of Information Technology and Communications (MinTIC) has presented a bill to Congress that will merge the telecoms regulator, the Commission for the Regulation of Communications, CRC) with the National Television Authority (ANTV),...
Costa Rican telecoms regulator, Sutel, has ratified its decision to declare the nation’s wireless market competitive, rejecting an appeal from the Ombudsman’s Office of Costa Rica (DHR), reports TeleGeography.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to eliminate a longstanding rule covering radio and television stations, in a move that could ultimately reshape America's media landscape, reports the Washington Post.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released more than 13,000 pages of net neutrality complaints filed by consumers against their internet service providers, reports Ars Technica.
The GSMA has brought out a report, “Wholesale open access networks”, which examines the performance of the wholesale open access network (WOAN) model (also known as single wholesale network, SWN) in five markets: Kenya, Mexico, Russia, Rwanda and South Africa.
The US House Energy and Commerce Committee has unanimously passed the Self Drive Act, which makes it easier for NHTSA to regulate what a self-driving car will look like.
Mexico’s 2013 telecom reform has brought benefits, spurring competition that has increased access and brought down mobile internet costs from among the highest in advanced economies to among the lowest, according to the OECD Telecommunication and Broadcasting Review of Mexico 2017.
The five member states of the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) are updating their telecoms framework with legislation, reports the St Kitts & Nevis Observer. A new electronic communications bill is expected to come before the parliaments of the member states.
Costa Rica’s constitutional court has ordered sector watchdog the Superintendency of Telecommunications (Sutel) to impose a temporary minimum data transfer rate for post-paid mobile internet users that exceed their fair usage allowance, notes TeleGeography.
The Brookings Financial and Digital Inclusion Project (FDIP) report for 2017 evaluates access to and usage of affordable financial services by underserved people across 26 geographically, politically and economically diverse countries.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the US says it cannot stop computer makers from selling computers that inject ads into webpages to US consumers, notes Ars Technica.
Antonio Garcia Zaballos, Leader of the Broadband Programme, Inter-American Development Bank
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