After many yeas, Telecom finally announced the start of the legal separation of its copper and fibre network, which could also be the first step towards a merger with wholesale-only operator Open Fiber. But the separation will not be as strong as that of Openreach from BT in the UK
5G and health: how to address the concerns?
Concerns over public health and conspiracy theories saw more than 200 attacks on mobile masts. The anti-5G protests are not a first with previous generations of mobile technology sparked equally intense opposition. Consumer bodies can play an important role in dispelling myths
Improving transparency for consumers
Regulators have expressed concern that mobile operators do not provide consumers with sufficiently clear and comparable information, hindering their ability to get a better deal. As New Zealand, the Netherlands and UK take action, the EECC should ensure consumers have the comparable information they need
Fewer markets now susceptible to ex-ante regulation in Europe
There are now just two markets susceptible to ex-ante regulation across the EU – fixed wholesale local access, and wholesale dedicated capacity (i.e. leased lines). While voice interconnection markets are gone from the list, this does not mean complete deregulation
COVID-19 contact-tracing apps could turn out to be a failed experiment
Despite a promising start in some countries, nearly all contact-tracing apps have failed to meet expectations – either due to technical problems, barriers to interoperability, or lack of public trust. Different approaches have emerged, however the collaboration between Apple and Google on a decentralised API is now becoming the most prevalent option. Adoption of the apps will need to grow significantly for contact-tracing to succeed. For this to happen, governments will need to show they take privacy seriously.
Regulators fight disinformation around 5G and health
Despite no supporting evidence, there has been a vocal group claiming 5G causes adverse health effects. In response, regulators have been publishing measurements of radio emissions from telecommunications equipment, which revealed that 5G emissions are still far from the maximum limits set out in national and international guidelines. Some regulators are also having to combat widespread disinformation on a link between 5G and the coronavirus pandemic, which has sometimes resulted in mobile infrastructure being vandalised.
The industry’s response to COVID-19 so far
The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way people interact with each other all over the world. Given the essential need for connectivity, regulators and policymakers have been swift to change their priorities and focus on ensuring network resilience and support for consumers. In this note we share some of the measures regulators and policymakers have been taking, along with those of the operators, and identify some of the challenges that lie ahead.
A look at Ofcom’s wholesale broadband proposals
Ofcom has published a draft of the UK’s Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review for the period 2021–2026. The review takes into account the faster pace at which full fibre deployment has happened over the last two years, and the role played by alternative operators. The concern for some infrastructure builders is the time it will take to get the enabling regulatory environment in place if they are to meet the Government’s ambitious connectivity target.
What will be keeping regulators busy in 2020?
As we start 2020, we look ahead to the key issues regulators and policymakers will grapple with over the coming 12 months. We consider four broad areas: the first year of work for the new European Commission; the development of 5G (with regard to spectrum awards and network security); broadband policy and roll-out; and the approach to regulating platforms and big tech.
Where are we after 18 months of GDPR?
The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation is 18 months old. Governments of 19 EU countries made submissions to the European Council in preparation for the first review. They highlight some gaps in the legislation, with particular regard to cross-border cooperation and enforcement, monitoring of codes of conduct, and to the need for GDPR to retain a forward-looking view so that it does not stifle technological development.
