Telecommunications Policy最新文献

This research explores the relationship between broadband availability and quality and entrepreneurship in rural regions in three states. Using quantitative techniques, it investigates the unique properties of rural locations as they may bear on connectivity's associations with various types of entrepreneurial endeavors. It shows that digital ventures and sole proprietorships are both highly related to local broadband speeds, but that conditions of rurality mitigate those impacts, enhancing the proprietorship results attributable to broadband speed but depressing or reversing the presence of digital ventures in the most rural regions. The research throws into question how the assumptions of scaled efforts intrinsic to digital ventures may disadvantage or misrepresent the highly specific and low volume of enterprises in rural regions. It does appear that Internet speeds and services matter for rural regions, but understanding business dependence on the Internet must consider business sector and local business acumen and the local broadband environment.

This editorial provides an overview of the economic, social, and political impacts of blockchain and introduces the papers published in the special issue. It discusses how blockchain can facilitate entrepreneurial ventures, optimize business operations, and enhance supply chain efficiency. The potential of central bank digital currencies to improve transaction efficiency and financial inclusion is also highlighted. Socially, blockchain is positioned to address labor abuses, improve working conditions, and combat corruption through enhanced transparency and accountability. However, risks such as illicit financing and high energy consumption are acknowledged. Overall, blockchain holds promise to transform economies, societies, and organizations, but thoughtful policymaking is needed to maximize benefits and mitigate unintended consequences. This editorial introduces papers in this special issue, which aim to expand understanding of blockchain's diverse applications and implications across institutional governance, business, sustainability, energy, and payments systems.

The age-based digital divide is emerging as a major challenge with the integrated development of population aging and digital transformation. This study examines the dynamics of multifaceted age-based digital divides (perceived Internet importance, Internet access, and learning-oriented Internet use) as well as their socioeconomic differentials (urban-rural residence, gender, and education). Using longitudinal data from China Family Panel Survey (CFPS) from 2010 to 2020, the study found that despite increases in perceived importance and physical access, learning-oriented use showed a downward trend. Moreover, the age-based divides regarding importance and access persisted over time while the divides in learning-oriented use by age fluctuated, and these dynamics varied across different social groups. The largest difference was observed between high-educated and low-educated groups: while the age-based divides in perceived importance and access have widened among the low-educated, these gaps have been bridged among the high-educated populations. For the usage gap, this contrasting developmental trend was only observed between middle-aged and young people, but not for the elderly.

Radio spectrum is critically important to the functioning of modern society but is a scarce resource in great demand. Ideally, it should be allocated to the most valuable uses in a country and used as intensively as possible. Yet, we are far from this, with spectrum use entrenched for decades and much of spectrum unused for much of the time. Changing usage is typically bureaucratic and glacially slow compared to the speed of innovation. That is, the promise of spectrum management reforms has not been delivered so far. We promulgate and endorse the earlier views that the key elements needed to progress with spectrum liberalisation are fully flexible spectrum property rights where the use can be changed by the licence holder subject to interference constraints, improved conditions for secondary trading to enable change of ownership, and the lightest touch regulatory intervention. We propose and explain a comprehensive policy framework based on the concept of Evolved Spectrum Usage Rights (eSUR) that enables change of use and innovation that can apply to all exclusive spectrum licensing. We elaborate on this to discuss a practical path and roadmap to the future to realise a world where spectrum can deliver much greater value than currently. The proposed policy measures apply predominantly to commercial spectrum, but some elements might also help with public sector spectrum.

After nearly three decades of “ICT for development”, the rollout of ICT backbone infrastructure remains challenging throughout Africa. African states do not only depend on the technology of foreign companies but must also seek external finance to pay for it. This dual dependency puts African governments in a vulnerable position, leading us to inquire: to what extent does the dual dependency on foreign finance and technology affect African agency in ICT infrastructure provider choice? The paper proposes a model that distinguishes between the agency of higher and lower income countries. Elaborating on the latter, the model assumes that the source of foreign ICT-related finance (i.e., China, World Bank, both, internal) determines whether the recipient state can exercise a weak, medium, or strong degree of agency in its ICT infrastructure provider choice. The paper further argues that the link between foreign finance and degree of agency is shaped by the digital development agenda of the donor. For instance, the model predicts that countries which predominantly received Chinese ICT finance possess weak agency when choosing an ICT infrastructure provider because China's digital development agenda ties the provision of finance to hiring a Chinese contractor. By examining the ICT-related financial inflows and geographical distribution of network equipment providers in African states, the paper shows that the source of finance affects the degree of agency and, subsequently, the choice of ICT infrastructure provider. However, the analysis also suggests a divide in African agency along former colonial lines. In fact, the model holds only for countries without colonial ties to France whereas former French colonies all contracted Huawei, regardless of ICT finance flows.

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector has gained much attention in the discussions on climate change, as it could impact global emissions both positively and negatively. The objective of the present study is to provide estimates for the 2020 use stage electricity consumption and ICT sector's total lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions divided in three main parts: user devices including internet-of-things, networks and data centers. The study builds on a high number of data sources including measured and reported data from 150 companies that is estimated to cover about 80% of network subscriptions, about 55% of data center electricity, and about 35% of upstream GHG emissions. To understand the development, the results are put into the perspective of earlier studies. In conclusion, the ICT sector used about 4% of the global electricity in the use stage and represented about 1.4% of the global GHG emissions in 2020. The use stage electricity consumption and the total GHG emissions have increased since 2015, but the impact per subscription has decreased. The user devices accounted for over half of all GHG emissions, with equal parts relating to use stage and other lifecycle stages. For networks and data centers, the use stage GHG emissions are dominating. The electricity consumption and GHG emissions are also estimated for the closely related areas Entertainment and Media (including e.g., TVs), paper media, and cryptocurrencies.

The article conducted a ‘merger screening’ of the potential impact of the merger between AIS and 3BB, which were the second and third largest internet service providers among the four major operators prior to the merger in 2022. National survey data across country in 2022 and discrete choice model was used for the analysis. Surprisingly, finding showed that AIS and 3BB were not the closest competitors, but instead True, the provider with the largest market share, was their closest competitor. Based on the pre-merger analysis, it was predicted that service prices were likely to increase, and this merger is comprised a relevant market. To accurately define the market (market definition), other operators' services should not be considered as well. Considering the rising magnitude in service prices, it is estimated that, on average, prices will increase by 7.51%–31.51% compared to the current rates in 2022. Moreover, the study revealed that the merger would lead to an average increase in cost efficiency of 15.01% of the current marginal cost, which would allow the post-merger service prices to remain unchanged if the cost savings are passed on to consumers. A key policy recommendation was for regulatory agencies to conduct further analysis of competition, including evaluating entry barriers, the response of non-merging competitors, and competition without regulated pricing. Additionally, the study examines the potential future impacts on social welfare.

As biometric identification techniques for authentication continue to gain prominence, the demand for mobile payment systems employing facial recognition payment (FRP) in diverse business contexts has increased significantly. Leveraging the antecedent-privacy concern-outcome (APCO) model, this study constructs a comprehensive research framework for FRP and subjects it to examination through an online survey involving 1058 Chinese users. The study's results reveal that technology anxiety exhibits significant relationships with technology, provider, legal, and user vulnerabilities. However, it is noteworthy that technology anxiety does not exert an influence on privacy concerns. Conversely, technology, provider, legal and user vulnerabilities are found to be significantly associated with privacy concerns. Furthermore, the research highlights that privacy concerns have a positive association with user resistance to FRP. The current study also provides practical implications for cooperation and governments.