With the US Government intending to withhold significant funds under its federal rural broadband expansion programme, the country will gamble with the affordability and longevity of what was billed as a generational investment in connectivity. We tell a cautionary tale for other jurisdictions considering a reshuffle of their public broadband investments.
The fallout of the O2 price rise has seen DSIT ask Ofcom to look at in-contract price rises again in the UK, including a “rapid review” of how easy it is to switch providers. Our research suggests Ofcom has already gone the furthest in Europe, leaving few good options available to the regulator from doing nothing through to banning the practice entirely.
As the saga of banning TikTok in the US has drawn to an apparent close, we reflect on the economic and security-based interests at play. Given these layered motivations, we don’t expect similar divestments of the app are likely to emerge elsewhere in the same way vendor restrictions did in telecoms markets.
Policymakers have called for pro-growth regulation, but what should this look like in practice for the telecoms sector? We analyse past approaches and consider if and/or how they might be reframed and reapplied for modern times through government interventions or regulatory reforms.
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.
With Brendan Carr set to take over the reins at the FCC, the regulator is expected to roll back red tape and prioritise global spectrum leadership. While we expect sweeping changes in consumer protection and net neutrality, Carr’s influence on broadband funding and tech regulation will be more limited.
As well as regulating AI, policymakers themselves are using it as part of their day-to-day work from document review to spectrum management. So far most have been slow to do so and remain cautious. International guidelines for the use of AI in the public sector could change that.
Age assurance engages the familiar trade-off in online safety regulation between protecting children and guarding privacy rights. As appetite grows for restrictions on access to digital services, we examine existing methods, regulatory approaches, and wider debate.
Given the growing influence of big tech firms in subsea cable investment , governments are intent on regulating underwater infrastructure for a modern world. In the second of a series of reports, we outline the existing subsea cable regulatory toolbox and suggest points of focus for new policy interventions.
The EC is considering rolling back regulation on the sector, particularly ex-ante rules that often apply to former incumbent operators. We consider whether this deregulatory push is part of a wider global trend.
