While consumer experiences of mobile coverage often fail to live up to what is promised, regulators have been slow to adopt the most effective testing and reporting practices. They should prioritise the most accurate testing methods despite their additional costs, with Arcep’s approach in France one to follow.
In recent years, policymakers in Australia have developed a self-styled reputation for developing a world-leading regulatory playbook for tech and telecoms. So far this effort has had mixed success in challenging the more famous ‘Brussels Effect’ for influence over regulation further afield.
Regulators will play a vital role in enabling D2D, but many are playing catch up. Authorisation regimes will need to prioritise licensing as well as spectrum and interference management if these new services are to finally help close the digital divide.
As regulators take on similar new statutory duties for online safety, the staff and budgets at their disposal vary greatly. Despite not benefiting from the EC, we find Ofcom to be as equipped, if not more so, when compared to its European counterparts.
