The German regulator BNetzA is the latest in a line of European regulators preparing a 5G spectrum auction. Similar planning is taking place in France and in the UK. The European Radio Spectrum Policy Group has also set ambitious deadlines, with the view to see the first commercial launches by 2020. However, for 5G networks to become operational by such a tight deadline, progress needs to be made not only on the front of spectrum awards, but also on the finalisation of 5G standards and on building comprehensive 5G strategies to identify products and services 5G will support and enable.
DCMS committee unhappy with social media’s approach to fake news
The hearing carried out by the UK’s Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) parliamentary committee on 8 February 2018 in Washington DC with executives of three of the main global social media platforms (Google, Twitter, Facebook) showed how much distance currently separates tech companies from regulators and policymakers with regard to tackling “fake news”, hate speech, and other related illegal activities.
For the first time, Telecom Italia’s network separation is credible
Network separation of Italy’s incumbent, Telecom Italia (TIM), has made the headlines for a number of years now. More often that not, rumours were not well founded, as they were fuelled by speculation around the need for TI to lighten the regulatory burden it faces, and be more agile in competing at the retail level. The fact that TIM is now controlled by a foreign group is pushing the government to consider separation; so much so, that TIM’s next board meeting on 6 March 2018 will vote on a plan to spin-off the network itself. At the same time, the change in landscape of Italy’s wholesale market could make this a well-timed move for TIM.
The regulation of big tech draws closer
Statements made at the recent World Economic Forum by businessmen such as George Soros, and by CEOs of tech giants (Salesforce and Uber) show these companies are starting to recognise that stronger regulatory oversight of their industries is inevitable and, to some extent, beneficial. This should be seen as a significant change in direction compared to the time when big tech was warning against the risks of regulating too heavily.
The push to open ducts and poles for mobile use
As a country that regularly tops the rankings for network speed and availability, it’s unsurprising that South Korea is pushing for a speedy deployment of 5G technology. In a recent meeting between the Minister for Science and ICT and the country’s main telcos, the government urged industry to collaborate closely to accelerate the adoption of 5G. The minister called for MNOs to be proactive in sharing their infrastructure in order to facilitate investment; and, crucially, asked fixed operators to help 5G development by opening up their passive infrastructure such as ducts and poles.
ARCEP examines the role of devices in achieving an open internet
Regulation around net neutrality has so far focused almost exclusively on internet access services, leaving other links of the value chain unexplored. However the French regulator ARCEP became the first to consider whether devices and operating systems are a weak-link in achieving an open internet.
The EU's Electronic Communications Code is still a long way away from getting approved
With the trialogue negotiations between the Commission, Council and Parliament now underway, an approved final text should in theory be imminent. However, the Council and the Parliament still have significant differences of opinion given their respective positions, and must still take on board the concerns of the industry, which is generally skeptical about the likely success of the code in creating a sensible framework for investment.
India moves closer to protect net neutrality
Indian authorities appear to have fully embraced the stance of a strong oversight towards net neutrality. This started in 2015, with the first public consultations on the issue; continued in 2016, with the explicit ban of zero-rating; and is even more apparent in the recommendations issued by the TRAI on November 28, 2017.
FCC’s net neutrality repeal will hand back regulatory powers to the FTC
The FCC announced on November 21, 2017 that it will vote on the repeal of its Open Internet Order of 2015, which enshrines the principles of net neutrality. The proposal has been expected since the change in US administration at the start of 2017, and will likely result in a return to the pre-2015 status quo, pulling back the reclassification of broadband as a telecommunications service.
Event: Global Broadband Futures
On 13 November 2017, Assembly participated in the inaugural Global Broadband Futures event in Sydney, Australia organised jointly by CommsDay and The National Broadband Network (nbn). The conference brought together speakers from Australia (nbn), Germany (DT), South Korea (KT), UK (Openreach) and New Zealand (Chorus), with the aim being to share international experience of the rollout of fibre broadband networks.
