The CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, made the headlines with his recent interview in which he called regulation of tech companies “inevitable”, and concluded that the free market has failed to deliver. His prediction is likely to be accurate, as policymakers increasingly see cases for intervention with regard to data protection and disinformation.
EU Council at a standstill over Digital Taxation and e-Privacy
On 4 December 2018, ministers of EU member states gathered in the respective groups of the European Council, to discuss two proposals on a Digital Service Tax and on the e-Privacy regulation. On both issues, EU countries are still clearly divided, and are failing to make significant progress.
Summary of the global inquiries into the spread of misinformation (and data privacy)
This note will be updated as and when witnesses appear in front of various committees that are addressing the topic of misinformation and the use of personal data.
Italian government must tread carefully in the TIM–Open Fiber merger
The Italian government is aiming to facilitate the creation of a wholesale-only network provider, resulting from the spin-off of Telecom Italia’s fixed network and its merger with Open Fiber. The move aims to facilitate investment in ultra-broadband, in a country where network duplication is particularly undesirable due to how the population is distributed.
Content, speed, and 5G: the three things cable operators have front and centre of mind
On 6 November 2018, representatives of the cable operators gathered in London for the Cable NextGen Europe conference. The picture that emerged is one of an industry with some meaningful ammunition under its belt for the years ahead, in the form of innovative video platforms such as Vodafone’s new Cloud TV, and of new technology through which Gigabit speeds can be a reality.
More fibre investment and less conflict for UK ISPs
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.
