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Issue: 46
IIC Policy World

What's in this month's issue?

Recent events

Event Calendar

Q&A: Chris Chapman, President, IIC

• Update from Europe - IIC UK Brexit Series

• InterMedia - The shape of things to come

• Latest updates from Regulatory Watch

 

 

Hello ,

100 times bigger and 100 times faster and all in 10 years?

At our recent TMF meeting in Washington, Marcus Weldon CTO of Nokia posited the argument that 'the future of networks is 100 times more capacity, 100 times lower latency, and all in 10 years'.

The ever-burgeoning technology ecosystem provides ongoing and increasing challenges for policy-makers and regulators which is why it is such a privilege to facilitate discussions and see the benefits that accrue when industry players, regulators and policy makers come together at our events to debate the challenges and the way forward.

These sentiments are echoed by our president Chris Chapman in this month’s Q&A where he shares his views after nearly a year in office, articulating what he calls ‘The charming part of the IIC magic’.

We have a rich calendar of events lined up for 2017 where we hope to welcome you and your colleagues.  In the meantime, Chris Chapman and we at the IIC wish you the very best for the holiday season and a happy new year.

With best wishes,

Andrea

Andrea Millwood Hargrave
Director General

Recent Events
 

Telecommunications and Media Forum

November 2016, Washington DC

The implications of technological advancement and the evolving political landscape internationally

The final TMF for the year took place in Washington DC where the theme was “Implications of technological advancement and the evolving political landscape internationally”. This was a particularly interesting meeting framed against the backdrop of a turbulent year for global politics.

Delegates heard an excellent keynote from Marcus Weldon of Nokia who provided context for a discussion around the policy challenges of disruptive new technologies. A transcript of his presentation and the slides are now available here.

There were also keynote talks from policy makers Tom Wheeler, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission; Terrell McSweeny, Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission; Peter Davidson, Senior Vice President, Verizon Communications.

Telecommunications and Media Forum

The IIC Telecommunications and Media Forum (TMF) is a series of meetings held throughout the year. All members are automatically part of the TMF and member organisations can send representatives to the meetings free of charge. Next year we will be in Doha, Miami and Washington.  A report that summarises the discussions at the meetings is available to members. Find out about membership in 2017.

Event Calendar

23 February 2017 IIC UK Brexit Series: Data Protection London IIC Chapter event
21-22 March 2017 Telecommunications and Media Forum Doha IIC Global event
May 2017 Telecommunications and Media Forum Miami

IIC Global event

9-12 October 2017 Communications Policy and Regulation Week Brussels IIC Global event

 

 

Q&A

This month, Policy World questions Chris Chapman, President, The IIC

1. You have just returned from your first IIC Communications Policy and Regulation Week in Bangkok and the Washington DC TMF as the IIC president, rather than as a speaker and delegate. What were the key takeaways from these meetings?
2. How have you seen the sector develop and what are the pressure points that the IIC has had to respond to?
3. You have spoken widely about the need for the regulator to be 'agile': what does this mean in practice?
4. What are the key challenges that you see coming 'just around the corner' for all the various players in this digital ecosystem?
5. The IIC's recent TMF in Washington DC marked almost one full circuit of IIC meetings for you. What is your key message to IIC Members and potential Members?

Chris Chapman was appointed president of the IIC in April 2016 (having been on the board since 2014). For 10 years prior to that he was the inaugural chair and CEO of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). Chris is the first IIC president to come from the Asia Pacific region in its 47-year history, a reflection of that region’s growing importance.

See Chris’s answers

Regional Updates
 

The IIC has directors in various regions of the world. These are dedicated TMT professionals who work with the IIC on a voluntary basis to share knowledge, facilitate relationships and create long-term bonds between regulatory authorities and the businesses they regulate.  Here we bring you news from these regions.

EUROPE

UK

IIC UK Brexit Series: Data Protection

23 February 2017, hosted by Squire Patton Boggs, London

The future shape of the UK’s ICT policy will very much depend on what form of Brexit is ultimately agreed between the UK and the EU-27. Commentators (on both sides of the Channel) seem to agree that due to the crucial economic (and other) interests underpinned by cross-border data exchanges, it will be necessary to ensure the continued flow of personal data between the EU and Britain.

Similarly, the UK’s approach to data retention will need to ensure that the provisions of instruments such as the Investigatory Powers Bill do not allow for what the EU Court of Justice has characterised as “indiscriminate surveillance and interception carried out on a large scale,” in violation of the rights and freedoms of individuals.  Otherwise, the UK may find itself in the same difficult position as the United States vis-à-vis the negotiation of cross-border data flows with the EU-27.

To discuss this and other issues, register here.

Other discussions in the series

November 2016: What are the red lines in Brexit negotiations – see summary here


Intermedia

Members receive InterMedia, the IIC’s quarterly journal. It reviews key developments in telecommunications and media policy, regulatory affairs, emergent ICT trends and, especially, the impact of the internet across the entire ecosystem.

The shape of things to come

Jean Jacques Sahel, Chair of the IIC UK Chapter, discusses the necessary changing role of the regulator  and the legislative frameworks within which they work in the fast moving world of technology and convergence. He argues that regulators might have a newly increased role, not in scope but in responsibility as they would be the ones in charge of ensuring the continuous (re)interpretation of essential legal norms and values in the face of technological, market and social evolution. To read the full article click here.

Full index of 2014-2016 InterMedia articles

InterMedia is a rich resource of articles, reports and interviews and the contents reflect the IIC’s on-going discussion themes.  To make life easier for you, we’ve created an index of all the articles published in 2014 and 2016.

Regulatory Watch

The IIC’s eye on the news.  This bulletin is regularly updated with thumbnails of industry news.  Follow the links for a round-up of latest industry stories.

Trump lines up conservative advisors for the FCC transition; Google recruits a ‘conservative’ out-reacher

President-elect Donald Trump has announced a third advisor to oversee the Federal Communications Commission's transition from Democratic to Republican control, reports Ars Technica.

Brexit could mean tougher merger policy in the UK

British regulators should be given wider powers to block mergers, particularly if a company has strategic significance, after the country’s exit from the European Union, Sharon White, head of regulator Ofcom has said

Regional roaming in Africa needs to be more affordable

A new report on the ONA (One Network Area) in East Africa initiative that shows that despite price reductions, and the emergence of a range of alternative technologies and calling solutions, prices are still high, and actions are still being taken by regulators to make roaming affordable to all consumers.

Crowdsourcing data for regulation in France

France’s regulator, Arcep, says it is taking another step towards crowdsourcing to reflect users’ experience as accurately as possible, as part of a data-centric approach to regulation.

Australia proposes changes to universal service obligation

Australia’s Productivity Commission has recommended what it has termed “a modernised and forward-looking approach to the subsidy and support arrangements that form universal telecommunications services in Australia”, notes TeleGeography.

Connected cars must be safer and cut fuel use

The European Commission wants car companies to make sure new models have a slew of digital technologies, as part of an EU strategy on internet-connected vehicles, report EurActiv.

Read more at Regulatory Watch

About Us

The IIC exists to enable the balanced, open dialogue that shapes the policy agenda

The IICs events, meetings and articles coalesce around six global themes addressing trends in innovation and investment, governance, content, competition, privacy and spectrum. These themes are reflected in the event programmes and in InterMedia content. Visit our updated homepage where Chris Chapman introduces the IIC.

Feedback

We’d be interested to hear your views on any of these stories so email Shermin Ali with any comments and we’ll publish a selection of viewpoints.

Membership Options

We asked members what they find most valuable and useful about their membership of the IIC. These are the top 10 reasons they gave -

The IIC enables us to...

1.Keep up to date with trends, issues and what the industry is focusing on

2.Gain unique insights and industry or policy information

3.Meet my counterparts and stakeholders from industry and regulatory bodies

4.Contribute to debates on the public policy agenda and share my organisation's viewpoint

5.Build a network and develop relationships particularly informally with regulators

6.Explore ideas in an independent environment

7.Focus on particular issues or technological developments at workshops

8.Schedule private meetings with contacts at global events

9.Meet lawyers and consultants who could be helpful to our business

10.Build lasting relationships around the world through the regular schedule of events

Membership Benefits

IIC Sponsorship

IIC Sponsorship is for organisations active in regulation or industry. These members work closely with the IIC, helping to shape the policy agenda, contributing to discussions from which the wider community benefits.

Full Membership

Full membership is for organisations active in the world of telecoms, media and technology and their regulation regardless of size. Members are drawn from regulators, telecoms operators, broadcasters, network providers, OTT players and smaller digital start-ups.

Associate Membership

Associate membership is for firms providing professional services and consultancy to the industry such as lawyers, consultants and analysts. The meetings give specialists in the TMT field the chance to keep up to date with new thinking and new players.

 

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