Telecommunications Policy最新文献

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.

Telecommunications Service providers (TSPs) and Content and Application Providers (CAPs) that operate over the Internet are traditionally regarded as complementary. However, the growth of 5G technologies has led to the emergence of an integrated sphere of competition and cooperation between TSPs and CAPs.The new elements of this competitive landscape stem from the hybridization of network provisioning, the growth of substitute services, and the emergence of end to end value networks comprising of devices, connectivity solutions, and a variety of content and application services. Simultaneously, the regulatory drivers that occasioned a differential treatment of TSP in their role as providers of essential utility communication services are converging with the features observed with respect to certain CAPs. These dynamics warrant the application of a new regulatory framework in the form of Diagonal Equity, that recognizes the need for similar regulatory principles to be applied to TSPs and CAPs, while acknowledging that with respect to certain issues a differential treatment will continue to be required.

Information and communication technology (ICT) is one of the fastest growing new industries in the world. This study aims to understand the nonlinear impact of ICT on carbon emissions more systematically. To this end, a threshold panel regression model is developed based on panel data of 92 countries. ICT is the explanatory variable, carbon emission is the explained variable, and trade openness and financial development are the threshold variables. The results show that: (i) When taking trade openness as threshold variable, both low- and high-income group have passed the double threshold test, the negative regression coefficient of ICT and carbon emissions firstly decreases, and then turns into positive effect when crossing the second threshold value in low-income group. While in high-income group, this effect shows a sustained growing positive trend. (ii) Taking financial development as threshold variable, this negative effect firstly turns positive which then increases when passing the second threshold in low-income group. While in high-income group, the positive impact of ICT on CO₂ shows a sustained growth which is similar to the situation when trade openness is taken as threshold variable. (iii) Income levels are set as a categorical variable, the impact of ICT on CO₂ presents a "U" shape under the influence of financial development and trade openness. The "U"-shaped turning point occurs in the low-income band and when the level of trade development and financial development is low.