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Trackers

Comparative benchmarking tables of regulatory positions

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

AI Tracker

Featured

Last updated to include the CMA’s investigation into partnerships between Microsoft, Mistral AI and Inflection and Amazon and Anthropic

 

Contents

  • Description

    Benchmarking the key provisions of binding and voluntary legal instruments, the relevant authorities responsible for enforcement, categorising safety-centric versus innovation minded approaches and highlighting the treatment of high risk and high capability systems.

    Countries (11)

    Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, EU, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, UK, US

  • Description

    Following the competition (antitrust)-related investigations, rulemaking and inquiries into artificial intelligence markets, specifying the companies involved and the markets impacted while providing details and status updates on the nature of the regulatory action.

    Countries (6)

    EU, France, Germany, Netherlands, UK, US

    Companies (8)

    Amazon, Anthropic, Google, Inflection, Microsoft, Mistral, Nvidia, OpenAI

Broadband and USO Tracker

Featured

Last updated to include IMDA's upgrade of the NBN under Singapore's Digital Connectivity Blueprint

 

Contents

  • Description

    Benchmarking governments’ national broadband plans, including their speed and coverage targets, milestones and deadlines for completion, technologies that can be used, the level of public funding available (overall and per capita), and the degree of focus on rural areas.

    Countries (20)

    Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US

    Companies (3)

    NBN Co, Orange, SFR

  • Description

    Benchmarking the scope of the Universal Service Obligation (with a particular focus on the inclusion of broadband and current speed requirements), designated operators, and funding mechanisms.

    Countries (18)

    Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US

    Companies (13)

    BT, Chorus, KCOM, KPN, NBN Co, Nuuday, Orange, Spark, Swisscom, TDC Net, Telefonica, Telenor, TIM

Consumer Protection Tracker

Featured

Last updated to include in-contract price increase rules in Malta, Italy, Portugal and the UK

 

Contents

  • Description

    Benchmarking measures to protect consumers from nuisance calls and texts including the adoption of caller authentication protocols (e.g. STIR/SHAKEN), the use of white/black lists and do not call lists, whether traceback and know-your-customer rules are in place, call blocking rules, provisions around spoofing, as well as further obligations in place to tackle fraudulent and automated communications.

    Countries (27)

    Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, US

  • Description

    Benchmarking both regulated and voluntary provision of low-cost social tariffs in terms of services included (e.g. fixed, mobile, content), their pricing, data allowances and their eligibility criteria.

    Countries (9)

    Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, UK, US

    Companies (22)

    4th Utility, Air Broadband, BT, Community Fibre, Country Connect, Deutsche Telekom, EE, Fibrus, G.Network, Hyperoptic, KCOM, NOW, Orange, Proximus, Sky, SMARTY, Telefonica, Telenet, TIM, Virgin Media O2, Vodafone, VOXI

  • Description

    Benchmarking the positions of regulators towards the practice of in-contract price rises including the problems identified, and any binding or non-binding interventions concerning their use.

    Countries (4)

    Italy, Malta, Portugal, UK

  • Description

    Benchmarking the frameworks governing consumers’ ability to change provider, including minimum contract terms, requirements for end of contract notifications, whether there are penalties related to early termination, the switching processes (for fixed, mobile and bundled services), and the switching charges at the both the retail and wholesale levels.

    Countries (5)

    France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK

  • Description

    Benchmarking requirements when advertising fixed broadband connections. It includes the rules regarding what speed claims operators can make and how they must disclose traffic management policies, the terminology that can be used to describe the underlying technology, standards for including accessibility or affordability information in advertising, and the work of regulators in monitoring actual speeds and coverage.

    Countries (7)

    Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, US

  • Description

    Benchmarking requirements when advertising and labelling mobile broadband connections. It includes the rules regarding what speed claims operators can make and how they must disclose traffic management policies, standards for including accessibility or affordability information in advertising, and the work of regulators in monitoring actual speeds and coverage.

    Countries (6)

    France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, US

  • Description

    Benchmarking the regulatory instruments NRAs have to monitor fixed broadband performance, including the KPIs that are assessed, reporting requirements, the methodology used during performance measurement, and obligations concerning the publication of the results.

    Countries (5)

    France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK

  • Description

    Benchmarking the regulatory instruments NRAs have to monitor mobile broadband performance, including the KPIs that are assessed, reporting requirements, the methodology used during performance measurement, and obligations concerning the publication of the results.

    Countries (5)

    France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK

Cybersecurity Tracker

Featured

Last updated to include amendments to the Cybersecurity Act in Singapore

 

Contents

  • Description

    Benchmarking national cybersecurity legislation and strategies, the competent authority overseeing the industries regulated, which industries those are, accreditation bodies, certification schemes, and penalties for non-compliance.

    Countries (7)

    Australia, EU, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, UK, US

  • Description

    Benchmarking the implementation of the EU’s NIS (and NIS2) Directive, including the legal instrument which transposes the Directive, the makeup of the Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT), who the competent authority and Single Point of Contact (SPOC) is, definitions of digital and essential services, the response process to data breaches, and the financial penalties that can be levied in the event of a breach.

    Countries (11)

    Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, UK

  • Description

    Benchmarking the restrictions imposed on the supply of network equipment from vendors on national security grounds, including the firms affected, the date restrictions were introduced, and implementation deadlines.

    Countries (24)

    Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, EU, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, US

    Companies (3)

    Huawei, Nokia, ZTE

  • Description

    Benchmarking decisions to prohibit the use of the app on national security and/or privacy grounds, including the extent of the ban and date any restrictions apply.

    Countries (20)

    Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden, UK, US

    Companies (1)

    TikTok

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) Tracker

Featured

Last updated to reflect operators’ progress towards sustainability targets, including BT and Virgin Media O2

 

Contents

  • Description

    Benchmarking the approach regulators and policymakers have taken to promoting the sustainability of the sector, including how environmental considerations feature as part of their own work.

    Countries (5)

    Austria, EU, France, Ireland, US

  • Description

    Benchmarking the environmental commitments set by telecoms operators and tech companies and the deadlines by which they should be achieved. Initiatives are sorted by their type, including the reduction of Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, the promotion of the circular economy, and the adoption of renewable energy sources.

    Countries (16)

    Europe, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US

    Companies (30)

    Altice, Bouygues, Orange, Iliad, Amazon, Apple, AT&T, BT, Three, Virgin Media O2, Deutsche Telekom, Telia, Vodafone, Telefonica, DNA, Fastweb, GSMA, KDDI, KPN, Liberty Global, MEO, MTN, Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung, Softbank, Swisscom, Tele2, TIM, Verizon

Fixed Telecoms Tracker

Featured

Last updated with the market analysis decision in France and copper retirement regulations

 

Contents

  • Description

    Benchmarking the market segmentation, SMP designation, remedies imposed, chosen cost methodology, and level of the WACC for a comprehensive set of wholesale access products.

    Countries (7)

    France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK

    Companie (8)

    BT, Deutsche Telekom, KCOM, KPN, MEO, Orange, Telefonica, TIM

  • Countries (7)

    France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK

  • Countries (7)

    France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK

  • Countries (7)

    France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK

  • Countries (7)

    France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK

  • Countries (7)

    France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK

  • Countries (7)

    France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK

  • Countries (7)

    France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK

  • Countries (7)

    France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK

  • Countries (7)

    France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK

  • Countries (7)

    France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK

  • Countries (7)

    France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK

  • Countries (7)

    France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK

  • Countries (7)

    France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK

  • Description

    Benchmarking the regulatory frameworks for copper network retirement, including timelines, notice periods, thresholds for retirement, required migration products and measures to protect consumers during the process.

    Countries (7)

    France, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, UK

Mobile Telecoms Tracker

Featured

Last updated to include the continued regulation of wholesale mobile access in Norway

 

Contents

  • Description

    Benchmarking the retirement of legacy mobile networks (both 2G and 3G), including timelines, the notice periods given, measures to protect consumers still reliant on these technologies, and whether the process was led by the industry or the regulator.

    Countries (19)

    Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, UK, US

    Companies (44)

    2degrees, AT&T, Bell, Bouygues, Deutsche Telekom, DNA, EE, Elisa, KDDI, KPN, KT, LG Uplus, M1, NTT Docomo, One NZ, Optus, Orange, Play, Plus, Proximus, Rogers, Salt, SFR, Singtel, SKT, SoftBank, Spark, StarHub, Sunrise, Swisscom, Telefonica, Telenet, Telenor, Telia, Telstra, Telus, Three, TIM, T-Mobile, Verizon, Virgin Media O2, Vodacom, Vodafone, VodafoneZiggo

  • Description

    Benchmarking the (largely deregulated) market for call access and origination on mobile networks, including the date of the last decision, and obligations imposed on SMP designated operators. We also include any remedies imposed outside of this process (e.g. through spectrum licence or merger conditions).

    Countries (8)

    Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, UK

    Companies (5)

    O2, Orange, Telefonica, Telenor, Vodafone

  • Description

    Benchmarking the market for mobile call termination including the date of the last decision, the operators designated with SMP and remedies imposed – including details of any price controls (e.g. the cost methodology and WACC used, and the level of symmetry in termination rates). We also include the regulatory status of SMS termination.

    Countries (7)

    Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, UK

    Companies (13)

    Deutsche Telekom, Eir, Fastweb, Iliad, Lycamobile, TDC, Telia, Telefonica, Telenor, Three, TIM, Vodafone, Wind Tre

  • Description

    Benchmarking the regulation of national roaming including those operators on which obligations extend, the oversight of any roaming agreements by NRAs, whether roaming conditions are attached to spectrum licences/and or a condition of mergers, and the degree of intervention on pricing conditions.

    Countries (5)

    France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK

    Companies (12)

    1&1, Bouygues, EE, Free, Iliad, MasMovil, Orange, SFR, Telefonica, Three, T-Mobile, Yoigo

  • Description

    Benchmarking the regulatory status of network sharing, including the basis for intervention, those operators on which obligations are imposed, and details of sharing agreements that have attracted regulatory scrutiny.

    Countries (5)

    France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK

    Companies (11)

    Bouygues, Deutsche Telekom, EE, Iliad, O2, SFR, Telefonica, Three, TIM, Vodafone, Wind Tre

Net Neutrality Tracker

Featured

Last updated to reflect the FCC’s adoption of rules regulating net neutrality in the US

 

Contents

  • Description

    Benchmarking the legislative frameworks protecting net neutrality including their key principles, enforceability, requirements to promote transparency of traffic management practices, treatment of zero rating and specialised services, and the penalties that can be imposed in the event of a breach of the rules.

    Countries (18)

    Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, EU, India, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, UK, US

Platforms and Big Tech Tracker

Featured

Last updated to include the designation of Shein as a VLOP under the DSA and the competition authority’s fine of Meta in Turkey

 

Contents

  • Description

    Comparing approaches to regulating safety online, highlighting the key provisions of legal instruments that are both proposed and adopted in each country.

    Countries (12)

    Australia, Canada, China, EU, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, UK, US

  • Description

    Benchmarking both proposed and adopted frameworks for regulating competition in digital markets, specifying the focus of different legal instruments and detailing the major provisions of each country’s approach.

    Countries (11)

    Australia, Brazil, Canada, EU, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, UK, US

  • Description

    Benchmarking market power inquiries opened by competition authorities in areas such as cloud services, app stores, and mobile device ecosystems. Includes details on outcomes and the companies implicated.

    Countries (10)

    Australia, EU, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, UK, US, South Korea

    Companies (8)

    Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, X, OpenAI, TikTok

  • Description

    Benchmarking antitrust investigations launched into big tech companies including details of the market in which an alleged abuse is believed to have taken place and the outcome of the investigation (including keeping track of any financial penalties imposed).

    Countries (21)

    Australia, Austria, Canada, China, EU, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, South Korea, Turkey, UK, US, Poland

    Companies (8)

    Google, Amazon, Alibaba, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Samsung, ByteDance

  • Description

    Tracking the implementation of the EU’s Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act. The benchmark details the designation decisions as well as the outcomes from investigations launched by the EC against designated platforms.

    Companies (18)

    Alibaba, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Aylo Freesites, Booking, ByteDance, Meta, Microsoft, Pinterest, Samsung, Shein, Snap, Technius, WebGroup, Wikimedia, X, Zalando

  • Description

    Benchmarking the approaches to tackling disinformation (particularly in the context of AI) by both governments and companies. Where there is legislation in place we detail its key provisions.

    Countries (14)

    Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, EU, France, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, UK, US

    Companies (8)

    Adobe, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, TikTok, X

  • Description

    Benchmarking attempts at taxing digital services. We include detail on the tax’s scope, whether any exclusions apply, and the rate at which the tax is levied. We also attempt to estimate the proceeds the tax is expected to raise.

    Countries (13)

    Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, EU, France, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, Turkey, UK

Privacy and Data Protection Tracker

Featured

Last updated to include fines issued by the FCC to the largest mobile operators in the US for failing to protect customers’ location data

 

Contents

  • Description

    Benchmarking the legislative frameworks for data protection. The benchmark outlines whether the law has extraterritorial applicability, the definition of personal data, the legal basis for its treatment, safeguards that must be in place to protect data, rights granted to individuals, requirements to appoint a data protection officer, rules on international data transfers and the treatment of non-personal data, authorities responsible for compliance, and notification requirements and penalties in the event of data breaches.

    Countries (14)

    Australia, Canada, China, EU, Hong Kong, India, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, UK, US

  • Description

    Benchmarking the implementation of the GDPR across Europe. The benchmark outlines the national legislation complementing the Regulation and key aspects of it, the authority in charge of enforcement and its funding arrangements, compliance guidelines, and the criteria for certification procedures and schemes.

    Countries (11)

    Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, UK

  • Description

    Benchmarking fines issued by Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) for breaches of the rules, with the reasoning behind each decision, the date of the fine, and amount in both local and common currencies.

    Countries (16)

    Australia, China, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, UK, US

    Companies (23)

    1&1 Telecom, Amazon, Apple, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Didi, Facebook, Free, Google, Iliad, Instagram, MasMovil, Meta, Microsoft, Nova, Orange, Spotify, Tele2, TikTok, TIM, Twitter, Vodafone, WhatsApp, Wind Tre

  • Description

    Benchmarking the legislation governing the retention of communications data, including the scope of data included within the law, retention times, who the legislation applies to, provisions for the reimbursement of operational expenditure related to data retention costs, and obligations to store data within national territories.

    Countries (9)

    Australia, EU, France, Germany, Italy, Singapore, Spain, UK, US

  • Description

    Benchmarking legislation governing the treatment of communications data, including the scope of data included in the legislation, the possible uses of data (including metadata) and the legal basis for that, the arrangements around secrecy and intercept, and who the rules apply to.

    Countries (7)

    Australia, EU, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, US

Spectrum Tracker

Featured

Last updated to include auction results from Austria and Canada and allocations in New Zealand

 

Contents

  • Description

    Benchmarking spectrum awards by country and operator including details on the amounts paid, price/MHz/population, size of allocations, licence duration, sharing requirements, coverage obligations, competition measures in the auction, and whether there were reservations for new entrants.

    Countries (23)

    Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US

    Bands (19)

    700MHz, 800MHz, 900MHz, 1.4-1.5GHz, 1.8GHz, 2.1GHz, 2.3-2.4GHz, 2.6GHz, mid 3GHz, 10GHz, 13GHz, 18GHz, 23GHz, 26GHz, 28GHz, 32GHz, 37GHz, 39GHz and 47GHz

  • Bands

    Low-band awards between 700MHz and 900MHz.

    Countries (18)

    Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK

  • Bands

    Mid-band awards between 1.8GHz and mid 3GHz.

    Countries (23)

    Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US

  • Bands

    High-band awards above 10GHz, including millimetre wave.

    Countries (11)

    Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Spain, US

  • Description

    Benchmarking RF-EMF health and safety rules by country, including details on relevant authorities, whether ICNIRP guidelines are followed, what is required as proof of compliance, the monitoring and inspection regime, and what enforcement action can be taken in the event of non-compliance.

    Countries (14)

    Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, UK, US