The 2018 Conference of the UK Internet Services Providers' Association (ISPA) took place in London on 30 October, at a time when the UK broadband market is undergoing fundamental change. Panels of usually opposing sides were characterised by comparatively little conflict, perhaps reflective of the new conciliatory nature of today’s infrastructure builders.
Reform of CBRS in the US shows how the FCC values scale in 5G
US regulator the FCC has reformed the rules of the Citizen Broadband Radio Service (CBRS). The changes make licences much longer and wider in geographical scope; this will be seen favourably by the largest mobile operators in the country, whereas small local players will now struggle in obtaining licences.
Facebook should let Nick Clegg influence things in two ways
Today is the first day for former UK Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, as Facebook’s new head of global policy and communications. The move inevitably triggered contrasting reactions, but signals Facebook’s willingness to engage with institutions more constructively in the future.
FT-ETNO 2018 saw a lamenting of Europe’s regulatory environment
The FT-ETNO 2018 summit gathered policymakers, regulators, industry executives and investors from Europe and beyond to discuss and debate the current regulatory challenges facing the industry. While the narrative has now become familiar among this particular set of stakeholders, the ferocity of the messages delivered was perhaps different.
Italy’s 5G auction: a bad deal for operators at the wrong time
On 2 October 2018, Italy’s 5G auction came to a close, after a staggering 14 days of competitive bidding. The amount raised by the auction far exceeded the government’s expectations, reaching €6.5bn across the 700MHz, 3.7GHz, and 26GHz bands. At such a high price, it is likely that Italian MNOs will face challenges in deploying 5G quickly and efficiently.
The debate on privacy regulation in the US has unequivocally begun
On 26 September 2018, the Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee of the US Senate hosted a hearing with representatives of ISPs (AT&T, Spectrum) and tech companies (Amazon, Apple, Google, Twitter). The hearing examined privacy policies of those companies and reviewed the current state of consumer data privacy regulation in the US.
Tech companies face greater scrutiny under EU Consumer Protection rules
The EC Commissioner for Justice, Vera Jourova, has made statements welcoming Airbnb’s effort to comply with EU consumer protection rules, particularly on the front of price transparency and recognition of users’ rights. Jourova also took the chance to criticise Facebook and Twitter, which are yet to implement some changes requested by the EC earlier this year.
Vodafone’s Future Ready Event saw a confident operator return to the stage
After a troublesome few years with customer service woes and the slipping from the top spot in terms of network leadership, Vodafone marked a confident return to the stage on Thursday with an impressive 5G demonstration at their ‘Future Ready’ analyst and media event.
Amendments to the EC Copyright Directive will not end controversy
On 12 September 2018, the EU Parliament has passed its negotiating position on the proposal for a New Copyright Directive. The new text follows the demise of the initial one in July, and means the trialogue negotiations between Parliament, Council, and Commission can now begin.
New York shows the pivotal role of cities in regulating online platforms
Two recent decisions of New York City’s Council have imposed stringent rules on platforms in the vehicle hire and in the short-term rentals markets (in short, this means Uber and Airbnb, respectively). The rulings create significant obstacles to the current business models of both companies, and show how the impact of these platforms on the life of cities is still, at best, unclear.
