The GSMA, the body for mobile operators, has welcomed the German government’s decision to release the entire 3.4 to 3.8 GHz band (C-band), essential for the future development of 5G services globally. But it warns that some of the currently proposed conditions on the allocation of these frequencies may slow Germany’s 5G future.
French president speaks out on the internet and democracy French president Emmanuel Macron has insisted that new laws are needed to limit and protect online content and the internet itself, reports the Register. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Paris, Macron made repeated calls for additional regulation, and complained about the “false alternative” of self-regulation or government control.
The European Parliament has voted in favour of establishing the European Electronic Communications Code and an enhanced mandate for the body of European regulators (BEREC), as proposed by the European Commission in September 2016, as part of the digital single market strategy.
The ITU has published a study, “The economic contribution of broadband, digitization and ICT regulation” which finds that an increase in both fixed and mobile broadband penetration has a positive impact on the economy.
US senators ask operators about net neutrality 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.
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.
The UK Chancellor has requested an independent review and consultation from an expert panel on the state of competition in the digital economy, to consider what the opportunities and challenges are for policy, both in the UK and internationally.
California sued over reinstatement of net neutrality rules 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.
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