Search

While 5G has become a reality in several places around the world, some countries are still in the process of assigning frequency bands and deploying networks. In this context, there is a significant opportunity to explore new market models for the management and utilization of the radio spectrum. Access to the radio spectrum results in diverse competition schemes, where market behavior varies based on the regulator-defined access scheme and the competitive strategies of different actors. To thoroughly analyze potential competition scenarios, this work introduces a model that enhances the comprehension of market variables, emphasizing behaviors influenced by relationships. The model's development leverages the potential of artificial intelligence and historical data from Colombia's mobile telecommunications market. Intelligent spectrum sensing, based on Software Defined Radio, augments the model's construction, utilizing lightweight AI algorithms to acquire real data on spectrum occupancy. In this way, the model provides novel insights into market dynamics, enabling the formulation of informed decision-making policies for regulatory bodies. Additionally, the application of causal machine learning (CausalML) helps understand the underlying causes of market behaviors, facilitating the design of guiding policies to maximize spectrum usage and foster competition. This approach demonstrates how AI-driven approaches and a deeper understanding of market dynamics can lead to effective 5G spectrum management, fostering a more competitive and efficient wireless communication landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discussions over paid peering and usage fees have become a global phenomenon, with ISPs insisting content providers pay for the substantial downstream traffic they generate, while content providers argue for settlement-free agreements, citing that consumers already pay ISPs for content delivery and content providers reduce costs for ISPs by delivering traffic close to customers. This contention is echoed in debates around net neutrality and related policies across the United States, Europe, and South Korea, prompting regulators to consider whether to regulate peering prices and/or impose usage fees. This question gains significance in the United States in light of the recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision to consider the reinstatement of net neutrality rules. Our study examines whether the peering price set by the market aligns with the socially optimal peering price. We first analyze the cost-based peering price, which reflects the ISP’s incremental costs for direct content delivery versus via transit providers. We discover that this price can effectively be zero with sufficient content localization, yet remains above zero without it, influenced by the number of interconnection points. We then evaluate the profit-maximizing peering price using a two-sided market model, finding that increased content localization decreases this price. These prices establish a range if the peering price is unregulated, from the cost-based peering price (at the low end) to the profit-maximizing peering price (at the high end). Regulatory oversight of peering prices may be warranted when there is a substantial difference between cost-based and profit-maximizing prices. Finally, our study informs the debate on potential regulatory interventions about peering prices or usage fees. We compare unregulated market outcomes with those under regulatory measures aimed at maximizing consumer surplus or social welfare. Through our analysis, we identify optimal peering prices within our determined range, considering the influence of content localization and interconnection points on these prices.

Some decades on after the MacBride Many Voices, One World report (1980) and the Maitland Missing Link report (1985), global telecommunications have only gained in importance, yet are still fissured by global inequalities. This situation is evident in one of the major developments underway in recent years: 5G mobile technologies. 5G is highly significant for present and future communication—and well advanced in its deployment and adoption. However, the dominant ways in which 5G has been imagined, planned, and deployed have been significantly shaped by interests and geopolitical forces that exclude many countries, and many of the putative beneficiaries of the emergent technology. To shed light on this impasse, in this paper, we offer a comparative analysis of policy and technology realities in two distinct countries that have been relatively overlooked in 5G: Peru and Indonesia. What we find is that national policies are premised on a shared interest and shared benefits, however, at this crucial point in deployment the outcomes are remote for the majority of citizens, especially in ways that matter for daily lives. In both these countries, 5G provides benefits for the small groups who can access and afford it, with others groups in position to be able to come online in the near future—as it provides opportunities for investments, fees, and penalties. However, for large segments of the populations, 5G, the prospects of connectivity, and the emerging digital economy are a long way off. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While 5G has become a reality in several places around the world, some countries are still in the process of assigning frequency bands and deploying networks. In this context, there is a significant opportunity to explore new market models for the management and utilization of the radio spectrum. Access to the radio spectrum results in diverse competition schemes, where market behavior varies based on the regulator-defined access scheme and the competitive strategies of different actors. To thoroughly analyze potential competition scenarios, this work introduces a model that enhances the comprehension of market variables, emphasizing behaviors influenced by relationships. The model’s development leverages the potential of artificial intelligence and historical data from Colombia’s mobile telecommunications market. Intelligent spectrum sensing, based on Software Defined Radio, augments the model’s construction, utilizing lightweight AI algorithms to acquire real data on spectrum occupancy. In this way, the model provides novel insights into market dynamics, enabling the formulation of informed decision-making policies for regulatory bodies. Additionally, the application of causal machine learning (CausalML) helps understand the underlying causes of market behaviors, facilitating the design of guiding policies to maximize spectrum usage and foster competition. This approach demonstrates how AI-driven approaches and a deeper understanding of market dynamics can lead to effective 5G spectrum management, fostering a more competitive and efficient wireless communication landscape.

This paper explores how infrastructural ideologies function as tools in geopolitical struggles for dependence and independence between world powers. Meese et al. (2020) suggest that controversies around 5G stem from infrastructural anxieties best examined in the framework of geopolitics. We build on this work by analysing the emerging infrastructural ideology and sociotechnical imaginaries (Jasanoff and Kim, 2015) of 5G in light of the changing global division of labour. Sociotechnical imaginaries refer to the vision of technologies themselves, while ideologies refer to the totality of social relations, translating the objective reality of material conditions to subjective lived experience (Bory, 2020). The Western imaginaries around 5G infrastructures reflect, deflect, translate and sublimate the infrastructural anxieties tied to the development and deployment of new network paradigms by China as an emerging hegemon. The controversial nature, contradictory content and fragmented presentation of 5G is a necessary part of living through the trauma of lost historical agency on the part of Western superpowers. We engaged in code ethnography (Rosa, 2022) of GSM, internet and 5G technologies, as well as participant observation in the main standard-development organisations of the internet and 5G. Our methodological assumption, taken from world systems theory (Wallerstein, 2004), is that the character and content of imaginaries and their underpinning ideologies creatively translate the position of actors in the global division of labour. This paper contributes to the understanding of the role of media infrastructures in geopolitical power tussles and straddles the fields of materialist media studies, science and technology studies and international relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A descriptive statistical analysis was performed on Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's (ISED) spectrum consultations from 2008 to 2021, along with a qualitative case study of the 2019 consultation on the 3500 MHz band. Analysis: The statistical analysis evinces the dominance of corporate participation in spectrum consultations, particularly by large wireless service providers. This article examines the relationship between the complicated technical framing of spectrum management issues and the corresponding lack of public participation. Conclusions and implications: To address the lack of public participation in spectrum management, the article proposes an adaptation of the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review Panel's recommendation for a public interest committee for ISED's consultation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report, prepared by a working group of TelSoc, examines the progress during 2022 towards a national Digital Communications Strategy in Australia, using TelSoc’s report on the need for such a strategy, first published in 2020, as a basis for the dimension upon which progress might be measured. TelSoc made a similar assessment of progress in 2021. The progress assessment is an important public statement that reflects TelSoc’s beliefs in reporting and accountability in this important area of public policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is responsible for regulation in the communications marketplace and for management of the nation's non-federal radio spectrum. During the past year, FCC economists continued to work on auctions so as to repurpose mid-band spectrum for advanced wireless services – including 5G – as well as initiatives to close the connectivity gap and make broadband more affordable. FCC economists also evaluated the likely competitive effects of Verizon's proposed acquisition of prepaid competitor TracFone Wireless. Finally, FCC economists helped in setting up the novel Broadband Data Collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, access to adequate, affordable, reliable broadband has become essential to many aspects of modern life. However, while urban centers in Canada already benefit from high-speed broadband services, many rural/remote and Northern communities face increasingly concentrated spaces of exclusion associated with digital divides. Inequalities in broadband services in Northern Canada have long been recognized by the federal government, which has initiated policies, regulations and funding programs to support the deployment of better connectivity infrastructure and services. Historically, many of these initiatives reflect a top-down approach that fails to consider the diversity of the communities and regions they are designed to support. Here, we focus on a case study of a policy consultation held by the national telecommunications regulator in an effort to learn current issues and challenges in the North. Consistent with existing research, our findings revealed that the most frequently reported challenges are the high cost of access, slow speeds, and limited competition. We also point out fewer submissions from smaller rural communities and argue that policymakers and researchers should pay closer attention to place-based challenges identified in different types of communities, and adopt more precise engagement tools and processes to encourage input from community members. • Long-standing digital inequalities persist in many rural/remote areas in Canada. • The telecommunications regulator launched a public consultation in North Canada. • We investigated the prevalence and focus of submissions from Northern residents. • There are distinctions between submissions from urban and rural communities. • More tailored policies can help reduce the social exclusion of rural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses a critical gap in telecom regulators' awareness of the climate impact of their policy decisions and highlights the substantial potential of broadband technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe). Empirical evidence shows that broadband can achieve a GHGe reduction of approximately 15–20%, a notable efficiency given its relatively low direct emissions of around 0.4–1.0% of global emissions. This analysis substantiates the premise that effective telecom policy serves as robust climate policy. The paper argues for a global alignment of telecom and climate policies, advocating for an integrated approach that acknowledges the deep interdependencies between these sectors. Key policy recommendations include targeted subsidies for broadband in rural areas, strategic spectrum allocation, and comprehensive incentives for green technology adoption across consumers, industries, and governments. The goal is to prompt a reevaluation of policy frameworks, urging advanced economies to harness the full potential of digital infrastructure to combat climate change. • Broadband technologies contribute only about 0.4–1.0% of direct GHGe within the ICT sector, underscoring their efficiency as sustainable technologies. • Broadband adoption can enable a significant reduction in GHGe, estimated at 15–20%, by facilitating low-carbon consumer behaviors, optimizing industrial practices, and enhancing government services. • There is a significant gap in awareness among telecom regulators about the climatic consequences of their decisions. • Targeted education and collaboration initiatives are essential to increase awareness and integrate climate considerations into telecom policy. • The pressing nature of the climate crisis necessitates translating academic findings into concrete policies. • This includes removing regulatory barriers to network investments, optimizing spectrum allocation for energy-efficient technologies, and developing comprehensive incentive programs for consumers, industries, and governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We propose a curve-fitting technique that complements existing estimation tools. • The average WTP for 1 Mbps faster internet is $1.13 per month. • The average WTP for a 1-tier quality upgrade is $45.52 per month. • Users with the lowest speed/quality benefit the most from a given internet subsidy. • WTP largely varies based on income and employment status. This paper adds to a growing literature on the willingness to pay (WTP) for internet services. We surveyed 5,200 respondents across four demographically diverse United States (US) states, and developed a curve-fitting WTP estimation technique that builds on existing conjoint analysis models. We find that users are willing to pay an extra $1.13 per month for a 1 megabits per second (Mbps) faster internet and $45.52 per month for better connection quality. We document a strong non-linearity: a given speed increment generates the most value for users with the slowest internet but confers negligible value on users with the fastest internet. Specifically, improving speed from 1 Mbps to 25 Mbps creates 2.32 times more value than improving from 25 Mbps to 100 Mbps. A similar non-linearity arises in terms of internet quality. We report large WTP discrepancies by income levels and employment status. The results corroborate that internet subsidies are most impactful if they first assist users with the poorest internet access. In this sense, subsidizing the right population could be as important as – if not more important than – raising funds to subsidize internet access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Media scholars raised several concerns about the digital television transition implemented at the beginning of this millennium. The impact of the transition on local TV systems is a crucial issue, because many small- and medium-sized enterprises may not be prepared to switch to a new technology and may exit the market. This article studies the survival of local TV stations in Italy during the transition to digital television. The empirical analysis shows that the adoption of the digital system is associated with a sharp decrease of the probability of survival of local TV broadcasters. While this result confirms that local media struggle to compete in the digital world, the overall assessment at the national level is not straightforward, given the imbalance between many local TV stations and scarce economic resources before the switch-off. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective for Very High Capacity (VHC) fixed and mobile networks is improving end-user Quality of Experience (QoE), i.e., meeting the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) - throughput, download time, round trip time, and video delay - required by the applications. KPIs depend on the end-to-end connection between the server and the end-user device. Not only Telco operators must provide the quality needed for the different applications, but also they must address economic sustainability objectives for VHC networks. Today, both goals are often not met, mainly due to the push to increase the access networks bitrate without considering the end-to-end applications KPIs. This paper's main contribution deals with the definition of a VHC network deployment framework able to address performance and cost issues. We show that three are the interventions on which it is necessary to focus: i) the reduction of bit-rate through video compression, ii) the reduction of packet loss rate through artificial intelligence algorithms for access lines stabilization, and iii) the reduction of latency (i.e., the round-trip time) with edge-cloud computing and content delivery platforms, including transparent caching. The concerted and properly phased action of these three measures can allow a Telco to get out of the Ultra Broad Band access network “trap”as defined in the paper. We propose to work on the end-to-end optimization of the bandwidth utilization ratio (i.e., the ratio between the throughput and the bit-rate that any application can use). It leads to better performance experienced by the end-user, enables new business models and revenue streams, and provides a sustainable cost for the Telco operators. To make such a perspective more precise, the case of MoVAR (Mobile Virtual and Augmented Reality), one of the most challenging future services, is finally described.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is responsible for regulation in the communications marketplace and for management of the nation's non-federal radio frequency spectrum. During the past year, FCC economists assisted in the development of initiatives that were aimed at closing the connectivity gap which proved especially critical in light of the COVID-19 pandemic; contributed to the Commission's extensive responses to COVID-19; were involved in various spectrum auctions; evaluated competition in the communications marketplace in the 2020 Communications Marketplace Report; and published a series of working papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indian telecom network is the second‐largest in the world after China and the fastest growing network globally. Consequently, India's telecom reforms have engaged the attention of researchers. This policy review traces these reforms and their impact using the sequencing literature. It also examines the political ideologies that shaped relevant policies, the outcomes produced and outlines the outlook for the future. The study contributes to the public versus private debate using the sequencing lens, not used hitherto, to study the reforms and thereby advance relevant literature. The lessons for information technology policy and for public administration and management are also highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The article uses fieldwork conducted among data centre professionals in Ireland to theorize the relationship between "hosting" and local business culture at the heart of data supply chains. Analysis: There has been a growth in data centres in Ireland since the 2007-2008 financial crisis, and technology companies have overtaken finance in the country's business cultures and strategies. Companies and semi-state institutions use conferences, promotional materials, and knowledge dissemination events to advertise Ireland as a place to host data and business. Conclusion and implications: This article concludes that the logics by which local culture and global business cooperate can be better understood by looking at middle managers and the facilitators of data supply chains in addition to macro-scale processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented demands upon digital infrastructure as large portions of the population work, socialize and attend school online. National regulators worldwide have been struggling to maintain service for all citizens as the essential place of internet access in contemporary life becomes paramount. This article narrows the policy focus from the national to the municipal level. Using the case study of Calgary, Canada, the authors outline a unique and successful private–public partnership where local internet service providers have been able to adapt to the changing demands of the COVID era, supported by forward-thinking municipal policy. The authors draw upon local data sources, municipal reports and interviews with key public and private sector officials to explore how municipalities can best position themselves to provide resilient and sustainable digital service in the face of this global pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic spectrum access (DSA) systems, commonly known as spectrum sharing, are considered one of the most promising paths for more efficient spectrum allocation. When talking about DSA, the most discussed topics revolve around particular technologies such as cognitive radios or particular solutions such as the advanced wireless services-3 initiative. However, in this work, we explore a less discussed approach for spectrum sharing: the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s experimental radio service (ERS). The ERS grants licenses for experimentation, market trials, and product development in Federal and/or non-Federal bands. Frequencies in these licenses are assigned on a shared basis and not for the exclusive use of any one licensee. Using FCC’s scraped information in the period between 2007 and 2016, we were able to gain a deeper understanding of the ERS. We find that the processing time (i.e., time to get a license) has been reduced from 100 days to an average of 23 days in 2016. Moreover, the assignation process of experimental licenses is characterized great flexibility in terms of the authorized technical and nontechnical characteristics. We also explored what is behind these 10 years of information.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is responsible for regulation in the communications marketplace and for management of the nation's non-federal radio frequency spectrum. During the past year, FCC economists helped develop efficient mechanisms for making available more flexible-use spectrum for the deployment of advanced broadband technologies; developed two new universal service funding mechanisms that aim to close the digital broadband divide; and, through careful analysis of firm cost data, contributed to a renewed effort by the Commission to develop price caps for interstate calls on prison inmate calling services. FCC economists also contributed to the Commission's extensive response to COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft and Netflix have come under intense criticism for acquiring undue influence on the media, economy, society and democracy. Google and Facebook's business models, especially, are cast as a form of 'vampire economics' responsible for the crisis of journalism and upending the media industries. Many media scholars argue that since the platforms increasingly function like media companies, media policy should be our North Star with respect to what new approaches to internet regulation should look like. This article agrees that a forceful response to the platforms is overdue but criticizes the case against them for too often resting on cherry-picked evidence and an exaggerated sense of their clout, while references to media policy obscure a better approach that draws on four principles from telecoms regulation to guide a new generation of internet regulation: structural separation, line of business restrictions (i.e., firewalls), public obligations and public alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Despite rich literature on rural and remote broadband and community networking initiatives in Canada, limited research is available on the sequencing, mechanisms, and processes of community engagement for this purpose. Analysis The authors use a case study of the Digital Futures initiative in Alberta, Canada-- a biannual symposium that engages a range of public, private, and community stakeholders to discuss rural broadband--to illustrate the iterative formation and application of such mechanisms. Conclusion and implications The authors demonstrate how an engaged approach to communications research situated in the unique context of the involved community of practice-- in this case, stakeholders involved in addressing broadband deployment and sustainability in Alberta--can help generate a cycle of research and praxis that reflects the normative goals of the scholarship of engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite investment in electric cooperatives to stimulate innovation in the broadband telecommunications market, an overwhelming majority (around 835 out of approximately 900) have refrained from engaging in broadband infrastructure projects. This study identifies “statutory environment” as a barrier to electric co-op innovations in the broadband market, analyzes state-by-state legislation, and makes recommendations for stimulating innovation by statutory updates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. rural-urban digital divide has been a policy concern for more than a decade. The issue has intensified with the COVID-19 pandemic and the requirement that people live, work, and study online from home. This is not possible for more than 42 million Americans, most notably those in rural communities, who lack access to high-speed Internet (broadband). Despite a policy of universal service and billions of dollars for deployment, policy makers have been unable to close the rural-urban digital divide. To understand this disjuncture between policy and deployment, this article analyzes current U.S. rural broadband policies as developed and implemented by the Federal Communications Commission. Drawing on critical political economy and theories of policy failure, I argue that rural broadband policy has failed in three capacities: meaning, mapping, and money. These failures occur because of a "politics of good enough" that dominates U.S. rural broadband policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pervasive role of telecommunications in contemporary commerce is well documented, and has dramatically increased the demand for services. Across the world, countries are seeking to improve telecommunications infrastructure and benefit from anticipated increases in economic activity, and a causal relation between the two is often tacitly assumed. This paper analyzes aggregate data at the national level to see if there is any empirical evidence that supports this assumption. We apply the well established Granger test for causality using time series data for levels of telecommunications infrastructure and economic activity from thirty countries. We find that the evidence for causality from levels of telecommunications infrastructure to economic activity is stronger than that for causality in the opposite direction. Moreover, this pattern appears to hold for both industrialized and developing economies, even though the former has strong service sectors that are heavily dependent on telecommunications. These findings provide additional insights into the complex relationship between telecommunications and economic activity. Some potential policy implications are also discussed. Granger causality tests have not seen much application in the IS Literature, and we mention some IS research issues that may benefit from such analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is responsible for regulation in the communications marketplace and for management of the nation's non-federal radio frequency spectrum. During the past year, Commission economists contributed to the analysis of competition in the communications marketplace as presented in the Commission's first Communications Marketplace Report. In addition, Commission economists examined issues in the broadcast television industry and performed general and limited analyses of the effects of both national broadcast group size and local market concentration on retransmission fees. Commission economists also evaluated the current Form 477 data collection and helped to develop proposals that would improve the current data collection as well as establish a new data collection that would advance the Commission's universal service goals. Finally, Commission economists evaluated the likely competitive effects that would be associated with the proposed T-Mobile-Sprint transaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Financial Politic & Economic Reviews / Finans Politik & Ekonomik Yorumlar is the property of Journal of Financial Politic & Economic Reviews / Finans Politik & Ekomomik Yorumlar and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article unpacks two infographic analyses to highlight two important themes regarding changes to the distribution systems and business models for the converging broadcast and telecommunications industry. First is that the recent revolution in production practices is now reverberating through the distribution system, as illustrated by a provisional mapping of a complex stakeholder ecosystem. Second is the clarity and consistency of the messages received from Canadians during CRTC consultations. In the Let's Talk TV consultations, consumercitizen messages centered on the desirability of readily available online and on-demand content, particularly Canadian and local content. By showing various stakeholders and their points of intersection throughout the process, this article aims to make a complex business more comprehensible, or at least more accessible, to a broad audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Law, State & Telecommunications Review / Revista de Direito, Estado e Telecomunicações is the property of Grupo de Estudos em Direito das Telecomunicacoes (GETEL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Innovation in the wireless communications network offers enormous growth potential for the U.S. economy. It would not only enable improvements to traditional services like those linked to mobile phones, but [...]

In an attempt to develop an understanding of existing research trends and to inform the development of new research in the field of telecommunications, literature reviews are being conducted. As an effort for investigating research trend, our research suggests the application of a text mining analysis technique to identify the knowledge structures of academic research in the field of telecommunications policy and to pinpoint future research opportunities. In this study, three analytical techniques were employed: a productivity analysis; a contents analysis based on topic modeling and word co-occurrence; and an author co-citation analysis based on a hierarchical clustering algorithm, multidimensional scaling, and a factor analysis. The findings from the research productivity analysis imply that the journal ‘Telecommunications Policy’ has greatly contributed to the publication of studies related to telecommunications policy. Moreover, our research institution analysis results indicate that telecommunication policy studies are undertaken by experts in various research fields. The contents and citation analysis results demonstrate that many studies related to telecommunications policy cover infrastructure-related topics, including the design, arrangement, and distribution of telecommunications networks. By contrast, recent studies are found to focus on the privacy and digital divide issues that may arise in connection with the application of telecommunications networks to other information technologies or industrial areas. However, the area of policy research that focuses on the application of information technologies still concentrates on the methods for the application of existing services—such as broadcasting and multimedia—without paying sufficient attention to the policy issues that may arise from the application of cloud computing, the Internet of Things, or big data analytics, services that have emerged with the recent expansion of wireless communications networks. In this sense, there is a need for discussions about the policies to respond to the increasing use of radio frequencies owing to the expansion of the Internet of Things, and to promote the efficient and safe control of data transmitted in real time on the wireless Internet. Studies of new technologies in the telecommunications policy field should be carried out in view of local and national characteristics. At the same time, further studies should consider efficient and reasonable ways to export telecommunications and networking technologies to countries that seek to invest in or expand their telecommunications networks to new information technologies. Expanding on this research, more text mining techniques for analyzing large amounts of text data and for clustering and visualizing them need to be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Law, State & Telecommunications Review / Revista de Direito, Estado e Telecomunicações is the property of Grupo de Estudos em Direito das Telecomunicacoes (GETEL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Seit dem 15. Juni 2017 dürfen Mobilfunkanbieter im Europäischen Wirtschaftsraum keine Preisaufschläge für im europäischen Ausland geführte Gespräche, verschickte SMS oder die Datennutzung verlangen. Mit dieser Regulierung soll ein digitaler Binnenmarkt ohne Benachteiligung der KonsumentInnen geschaffen werden. Die EU-Verordnung lässt Veränderungen in den Tarifstrukturen von Mobilfunkverträgen erwarten. Theoretische Überlegungen zeigen: Solange Mobilfunkanbieter eine Roaming-Option für wenigreisende NutzerInnen nicht ausschließen, profitieren alle von der EU-Verordnung – selbst diejenigen, die nur selten verreisen. In diesem Fall sind auch positive Wirkungen auf die gesamte soziale Wohlfahrt zu erwarten. Negative Wirkungen auf alle NutzerInnen sind allerdings dann abzusehen, wenn die Roaming-Option in einigen Tarifen ausgeschlossen wird. Das konkrete Marktergebnis hängt davon ab, wie sehr sich KonsumentInnen in ihrem Nutzungsverhalten unterscheiden. Die Tatsache, dass Tarife ohne Roaming-Option hierzulande von keinem der drei Netzbetreiber angeboten werden, legt eine positive Bewertung der Regulierungsmaßnahmen nahe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of Internet shutdowns in Pakistan, which have become an increasingly common phenomenon, with 41 occurring between 2012 and 2017. It argues that to understand how shutdowns became normalized in Pakistan, it is necessary to look at the specific dynamics of how the shutdowns take place. In doing so, the concept of communicative ruptures develops to better understand intentional government shutdowns of communications. The article argues that strategic prevention of mobilization is key for short-term shutdowns, whereas long-term shutdowns can be better explained by looking at disciplinary mechanisms and denying the existence of "others." The article then discusses Internet shutdowns in the wider context of authoritarian practices before concluding with the urgent need for further research on this topic, both in Pakistan and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The international Human Rights regime acknowledges a certain number of rights. That number, albeit increasing since its inception, does not seem able to keep up with the pace of modern technology. Human rights today are not only exercised in the tangible world; they are also exercised on a daily basis in a world of ubiquitous computing–as such they can be easily breached with a mere click of a button. To make matters worse, these rights are controlled largely by multinational corporations that have little regard for their value. In this paper we will attempt to explore the difficulties the global human rights regime faces today, the challenge that is its enforcement, and whether it has come to a standstill in an age where connections grow faster than the rule of law.