Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the extent to which informal businesses employ information and communication technologies (ICTs) in their daily activities and the challenges they face in making use of ICTs. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses nationally representative data for informal businesses in residential and semi-residential areas, as defined by national census sample frames for nine African countries. Findings – The results show that mobile phones remain the most commonly used ICT among informal businesses, while the use of other ICTs, such as fixed-line telephones, computers and the internet remains negligible. Businesses were found to communicate more with their suppliers than with their customers via mobile phone. The lack of use of the different kinds of ICTs was attributed to issues around need, affordability, availability and access.

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this conceptual paper is to explore the meaning of cloud computing for mobile communication. The paper answers the question “what is mobile cloud computing?” and how is it related to the generic cloud computing concept?Design/methodology/approach – This is an explanatory conceptual paper, based on literature review and exploring potential use cases, focused on the use of mobile cloud for service, platform or infrastructure access. The authors exclude the discussion of the traditional cloud concept in back office processes of telecom operators, and service providers.Findings – Where cloud computing is focused on pooling of resources, mobile technology is focused on pooling and sharing of resources locally enabling alternative use cases for mobile infrastructure, platforms and service delivery. The paper discusses relevant concepts and offers examples of use cases.Research limitations/implications – The value of mobile cloud solutions is not yet explicit, but needs further attention...

Abstract: Purpose – The future development of the internet is not only heavily dependent on its technological evolution, but also on business sustainability for the interconnection ecosystem the web relies on, where various players characterized by fairly different economic structures and interests are coexisting. Therefore, in this paper the authors aim to propose a methodological framework for developing innovative interconnection business models.Design/methodology/approach – Starting from a comprehensive as‐is analysis including the selection of appropriate service scenarios, market activities are abstracted through an archetypization process. Based on that, a value network for the future marketplace is proposed and makes it possible to design a business model for carriers, before, as last step, both the value network configurations and the to‐be business model are evaluated.Findings – The framework to assess the future internet ecosystem depicts the interconnections value network, shedding light on its key acti...

Abstract: Purpose – The ambitious government initiatives currently underway to accelerate broadband development indicate a major shift from the consensus that prevailed during the 1990 s in the telecommunications sector. To what extent does this change represent a return to the period before market liberalization and the privatization of government‐run telecom services? What are the main objectives of national broadband plans and which policy tools are best suited to achieve them? This paper aims to analyze these questions through a comparative analysis of the goals, policy instruments and network‐deployment models of the most relevant national broadband plans adopted in Latin America.Design/methodology/approach – The paper takes the form of a comparative analysis of the goals, policy instruments and network‐deployment models of the most relevant national broadband plans adopted in Latin America.Findings – Common patterns and key differences between the initiatives adopted in five countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chil...

Abstract: Purpose – The paper iaims to investigate the evolution of discourses, claims and actor positions during the German and French examination of legislation aimed at introducing state-mandated website blocking measures of sexual child images (often referred to as “child pornography”). Design/methodology/approach – The focus lies on the opportunities and difficulties for opponents of internet blocking measures to form discourse coalitions that challenge the frames articulated and normalised by power elites. While critics of mandatory internet blocking were ignored at the outset of the debate, their frames have eventually been adopted and debated by proponents of internet blocking in Germany. Findings – Activists successfully criticised the effectiveness of introducing internet blocking measures, which led to the final abandonment of the bill. In France, the debate remained largely confined to online media, where critics voiced their opposition but did not succeed in influencing the broader policy agenda, which...

Abstract: Purpose – This paper intends to promote a re‐consideration of the most appropriate policy framework for implementing the European Union (EU) digital agenda.Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines relevant EU documentation and the related research literature on EU telecommunications reform within a context of economic market theory and policy analysis models.Findings – The liberalization principle driving EU telecommunications reform for the past quarter century has stalled, and may be reversed by the policy framework adopted for implementing the digital agenda. The public sector broadband funding model is likely to be wasteful and ineffective. Other options for implementation should be considered.Originality/value – This paper examines current EU policy shaping the development of broadband networks and the evolution of the digital economy and information society. It highlights the progress and limitations of EU policy as it has evolved as a reference for implementation of current policy objective...

Abstract: Purpose – The aim of this paper is to look at the extent to which the bandwagon effect played a part in digital subscriber line (DSL) broadband adoption combined with the regulatory measures, the slowdown in the cable industry and the changes within the telecommunications industry in the United Kingdom (UK). The dynamics of broadband deployment, broadband adoption against a real‐world supply‐demand equation and the factors that influenced the outcome in the UK are examined in detail.Design/methodology/approach – This paper combines historic facts and socio‐economic analysis done from archival research and interview material to examine the outcome in which the less‐heralded copper DSL technology outpaced cable broadband adoption. The analysis delves into the influence of the bandwagon effect and the two types of outcome associated with it i.e. network externalities and the complementary bandwagon effects.Findings – The paper argues that the deployment of broadband technologies in the UK has not taken place...

Abstract: Purpose – The aim of this paper is to explore the price plans offered by Thai mobile operators and analyse the role of demand characteristics in the development of new price plans. The paper also shows how demand affects a firm's degree of innovativeness in terms of the number of new price plans.Design/methodology/approach – The empirical qualitative analysis is based on an original data set from several secondary data sources and includes all the price plans offered in the history of the Thai mobile communications market between 2002 and 2010.Findings – The results show that mobile operators have introduced several innovative price plans to attract and retain their consumers. Although a greater number of price plans can increase competition among operators, some have complex combinations that may lead to confusion for consumers.Practical implications – A price comparison programme should therefore be implemented by the telecom regulator to ensure that consumers receive correct and complete information ab...

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that telecommunications liberalization in Europe has taken the European telecommunications and internet sectors a breathtaking leap forward. To counter the leveling off of growth and facing the smartphone revolution, new structural changes are now required.Design/methodology/approach – The paper assesses in a concise manner the effect of telecommunications liberalization in Europe based on the 1987 green paper. It demonstrates the enormous dynamics created in the mobile and fixed network sectors and the key role of liberalization to make Europe internet‐ready during the 1990s. The paper then proceeds to the analysis of the leveling off of growth during the last few years and discusses required changes to restart dynamics.Findings – The green paper of 1987 successfully defined a framework within which political and legal action in both regulatory and competition fields could develop, leading to full liberalization of telecommunications in the European U...

Abstract: Purpose – This article compares the use of deep packet inspection (DPI) technology to the use of cookies for online behavioral advertising (OBA), in the form of two competing paradigms. It seeks to explain why DPI was eliminated as a viable option due to political and regulatory reactions whereas cookies technology was not, even though it raises some of the same privacy issues. Design/methodology/approach – The paradigms draw from two-sided market theory to conceptualize OBA. Empirical case studies, NebuAd's DPI platform and Facebook's Beacon program, substantiate the paradigms with insights into the controversies on behavioral tracking between 2006 and 2009 in the USA. The case studies are based on document analyses and interviews. Findings – Comparing the two cases from a technological, economic, and institutional perspective, the article argues that both paradigms were equally privacy intrusive. Thus, it rejects the generally held view that privacy issues can explain the outcome of the battle. Politics...

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose is to map the corporate structure of Vodafone Group Through this, the paper will demonstrate the complexity of the company and argue for improved data availability to facilitate a better understanding of the mobile industryDesign/methodology/approach – The paper begins by briefly recounting some relevant literature before detailing the data sources used in the analysis of Vodafone Group A structure of Vodafone Group, highlighting the use of holding companies, is then presented, after which a series of national case studies are detailed The case studies are used to shed light on a series of topics that are subsequently discussedFindings – The paper highlights the organisational complexity of Vodafone Group There are many more companies within the Vodafone Group than expected These companies are held through a series of holding companies, some of which are located in tax havensResearch limitations/implications – Assembling the data highlighted how little information is readily

Abstract: Purpose – This article aims to present an analysis of ideas and practices regarding governance of and by the network design process by participants in the technical design process during the first decade (1969-1979) as recorded in the technical document series that provides both the medium for and the history of that design process, the Internet RFCs. Design/methodology/approach – The research was conducted via a comprehensive inductive and adductive reading of all of the publicly available documents in the series from its launch in October of 1969 through the close of 1979. Findings – The findings show that internet designers were well aware that the infrastructure they were building was social as well as technical in nature. They were concerned about both governmental constraints on the design process (governance of) and about how protocol compliance could be achieved (governance by the network design process). As do informational states, network designers developed governance tools that affected the identity, structure, borders, and change in social, informational, and technological systems. The dual faces of network governance reveal tensions between the network political and the geopolitical. Originality/value – This work contributes to our understanding of the interactions between the social and the technical in the course of the internet design process as it was expressed in concerns about governance by others and of others brought up in the course of resolving technical design problems. Methodologically, the research provides a model of one approach to analyzing the development of governance mechanisms and specific policies along sociotechnical boundaries.

Abstract: Purpose – This paper seeks to make an assessment of the progress towards a fully fledged internal market for e‐communications in the European Union. The assessment is placed in the context of a quarter century of telecommunications reform in Europe.Design/methodology/approach – A combination of qualitative and quantitative assessments is applied with a focus on fixed and mobile communications. The qualitative assessment includes interviews and a questionnaire. The quantitative assessment is based on econometric analysis of panel data.Findings – Removing the remaining barriers in the internal market may in the long run provide benefits of €27‐55bn or the equivalent of 0.2‐0.4 percent of GDP at the European level. Major barriers identified are related to the degree of openness of national markets and the ability of telecom firms to exploit EU‐level economies of scale.Research limitations/implications – In the econometric benefit analysis no secondary effects are included. Further research is recommended to ...

Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to review the current debates regarding the role of the state in securing the cyberspace, with a particular focus on the negotiations taking place in the UN General Assembly (UNGA). Design/methodology/approach – This paper reflects on the evolution of the UNGA discourse on the role of the state in protecting the cyberspace, based on the textual analysis of all UNGA resolutions pertaining to the politico-military aspects of internet security. Findings – The paper finds that the lack of an officially adopted definition for internet security in the UNGA discussions led to agreement solely on informative, best practice sharing or voluntary activities addressing other states, rather than providing an integrated vision for protecting the cyberspace. Research limitations/implications – The analysis is limited to the negotiations taking place in one institutional venue, namely the UNGA between 1998 and 2011, complemented by three resolutions issued by the ITU in 2010; activities conducte...

Abstract: Purpose – The aim of this paper is to present a qualitative study on implementation of trusted identity management systems. Identity management and assurances in developing countries generates a lot of controversy and challenges for society and this study was set out to design model for trusted identities framework.Design/methodology/approach – Trusted identities framework from a societal perspective is a multi‐stakeholder issue and hence a qualitative research method was deemed appropriate given that it provides opportunities for engagement of stakeholders from different avenues. The use of a stakeholder forum offered a good opportunity for interested parties to raise their issues and get responses. The interviews were also a means of getting clarifications and also offered those not comfortable in public speaking to make their point.Findings – The study made the following interesting findings: that trusted identities depend on institutional collaboration, user empowerment, system quality, information qu...

Abstract: Purpose – The European telecommunications landscape has been transformed over the past 25 years, but spectrum management has remained largely unchanged. The paper seeks to highlight the need for a more flexible approach to spectrum management and, in particular, the role of shared spectrum access.Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on a research study to examine the value of shared spectrum access, based on a review of the literature, a survey of European national regulatory authorities, and scenario analysis.Findings – The paper highlights trends in wireless data growth and, in particular, the impact of 4G cellular mobile technology over the next five years. With pressure also growing on the licence‐exempt bands at 2.4 and 5 GHz, a more flexible approach to spectrum management will be required in future, including light licensing, de‐licensing and spectrum sharing.Originality/value – The paper brings together a range of evidence to show how the current approach to spectrum management is no long...

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss literature and empirical evidence on regulatory independence especially in telecommunications and to suggest reforms of this institution.Design/methodology/approach – The paper comprises a survey of the literature plus new empirical evidence on de facto independence.Findings – The study finds that independence has a positive and significant, but modest, impact on network penetration, once de facto issues and endogeneity are taken into account.Research limitations/implications – De facto independence can only be superficially approached with quantitative methods and the instruments used to correct for endogeneity are far from perfect.Practical implications – Regulatory agencies may find ways to improve their effectiveness.Social implications – The paper provides ideas on how to solve the dilemma between expertise and accountability in the particular field of telecommunications regulation.Originality/value – The paper provides data about the vulnerability of...

Abstract: Purpose – Operators are launching bundles of services to retain customers and improve ARPU but regulators and competition authorities need to ensure fair competition. The objectives of this article are to present the reasonability of ex‐ante and ex‐post intervention and the methodologies and imputation test that might be considered by national regulatory agencies (NRAs) and national competition authorities (NCAs) to guarantee effective competition.Design/methodology/approach – The methodology from a regulatory standpoint consists of analyzing the impact that margin squeeze might have on the level of competition. It is based on estimating how costs and retail prices will evolve over time. The methodology aims to predict how margins will evolve taking into consideration the number of subscribers and network costs.Findings – The increasing number of convergent offers, the roll out of new technologies that allows the commercialization of new services and applications and the transformation in the access netwo...

Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to develop a greater understanding of international telecommunications policy diffusion through preliminary, qualitative analysis of an expected utility model. The model is tested through analyses of diffusion of spectrum license allocation policies within and between regions.Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative comparative case method is used. Cases are developed from secondary data from the European Union and South America, and analyzed at the national and regional levels.Findings – The results suggest: the expected utility model can be used for in‐depth qualitative analyses to compare effects of various diffusion mechanisms; diffusion of spectrum license allocation policies at the regional level was more strongly driven by a policy's likely effectiveness, as compared to potential payoffs for policymakers; and conversely, at the national level diffusion was driven by both payoffs for the policymakers and likely policy effectiveness.Originality/value – The two academic co...

Abstract: Purpose – There are significant shortcomings in the current method of estimating the indicator “Proportion of internet users” by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in countries where demand-side data are unavailable. In the absence of demand-side surveys, governments calculate the proportion of internet users on the basis of the number of subscriptions and a multiplier, which leads to arbitrary values. Errors in such base indicators ripple through the system, causing significant errors in composite indicators, and should be minimised. The purpose of this paper is to propose a new evidence-based methodology, in the absence of demand-side surveys, to estimate the proportion of individuals using the internet. Design/methodology/approach – This study found the drivers of internet use to be income and education. A regression analysis was conducted between internet users per 100 in countries that employed demand-side surveys and a new index based on the income and education components of the Human ...

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the complexity of prepaid mobile pricing in Indonesia and suggest tools that allow consumers to make informed decisions. Design/methodology/approach – Defining a basket of services and pricing it for all prepaid mobile products available in Indonesia. Findings – Findings suggested the importance of price transparency to ensure that consumers are well-informed concerning the range of services and prices available. Practical implications – The paper provides recommendations for the Indonesian Telecommunication Regulation Agency (BRTI), which could use price baskets to create transparency and monitor price developments in the market. Another measure BRTI could undertake is to require any advertisement to include the cost for a price basket defined by BRTI. Social implications – Price transparency is likely to lead to price competition and thus lower prices and/or better services. The economic impact of lower prices is well documented. Originality/value – ...

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact on mobile demand of an asymmetric regulation policy introduced in the year 2009 in Colombia. It aims to do this by estimating demand models for mobile services during the 2005 to 2011 period.Design/methodology/approach – The economic analysis uses two‐stage least squares and ordinary least squares (OLS) econometric techniques. The paper models minutes used in Colombia as a function of prices, income, a time trend and a regulation dummy variable. The study controls for endogeneity issues in the price variable by using two instruments: Colombia's exchange rate COP – USD and the Producer Price Index.Findings – The paper finds a price elasticity of demand and an income elasticity of approximately ‐0.66 and 0.30, respectively, within the range of previous findings in the literature. The study estimates that the introduction of the asymmetric regulation on the incumbent mobile's on‐net and off‐net prices reduced demand for mobile services and caused a ...

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief introduction to the telecommunication reform process in Europe, its status, and upcoming policy issues. Furthermore, it also aims to provide an overview of the papers in this special issue.Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides an introduction to the telecom reform process based on previous research and the papers in this issue of info.Findings – The introduction argues that the European telecommunication reform process with the telecommunications green paper of 1987 as an important point of departure has been a success in many ways. It has, for example, facilitated the development of mobile, of the internet and its many applications, and considerably lowered prices. However, there are important areas where a single European market has not developed. Moreover, new challenges are rising in terms of upcoming reconfigurations of the whole information communications technology (ICT) area requiring new policy and regulatory answers.Originality...

Abstract: Purpose – The market for enterprise telecommunications has benefitted greatly from liberalisation over the last quarter century. This paper seeks to review the evolving engagement of enterprises with markets and with policy processes.Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a review of the literature and of the experiences of telecommunications user groups, both national and international, focusing on leased lines, roaming and trans‐national service provision.Findings – The paper reveals that telecommunications user groups have declined as enterprises have been satisfied by the level of competition on markets for integrated information communication technology (ICT) services. There is less engagement in policy and regulatory processes.Research limitations/implications – The secondary nature of many sources points to the need for the collection and analysis of market developments and the experiences of individual enterprises.Originality/value – This paper brings together material on enterprise tele...

Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to determine the most possible telecommunications regulatory system for the Palestinian Authority by investigating its institutional foundations. The paper highlights the problem of setting sophisticated institutions in fragile states that do not fully control their resources and investigates possible solution in terms of foreign investments.Design/methodology/approach – The paper follows a qualitative research approach in two parts. The first part examines the institutional endowment framework set by Levy and Spiller and Levy and Spiller but considers critique of the framework. It also investigates institutional problems in fragile states in order to identify similar patters identified in Levy and Spiller framework. The second part focuses on the Palestinian Authority institutional foundations. Data are collected through interviews with key stakeholders of the Palestinian telecommunications sector.Findings – The case of the Palestinian Authority shows a mix of political investme...

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the disconnect between policy intent and policy implementation in relation to regional/local (sub-national) TV deliverables in South Africa between 1990 and 2011, and evaluate the impact of this disconnect in pursuit of public interest objectives. Design/methodology/approach – The article is based on a research case study in which data extracted from policy documents and interviews were qualitatively analysed via the Kingdon “policy streams” framework and the Feintuck and Varney public interest media regulation framework. Findings – It was found that ruptures in deliberative policymaking, and policy implementation missteps, undermined sub-national TV delivery and, in turn, undermined pursuit of the public interest. Originality/value – By combining a political science conceptual framework with a media policy conceptual framework, the article provides unique insights into South African TV policymaking in the early democratic era.

Abstract: ABSTRAK Potensi Rawa Pening menjadi terganggu dengan pertumbuhan eceng gondok yang sangat pesat dan hampir menutup ¾ wilayah perairan. Untuk menyelesaikan permasalahan di atas, LPPM Universitas Diponegoro yang merupakan Perguruan Tinggi terdekat diperlukan peranannya dengan memanfaatkan dan mengolah eceng gondok menjadi bahan yang memiliki nilai ekonomi tinggi. Permasalahan urgent yang dihadapi oleh mitra adalah proses pemilinan eceng gondok untuk mendapatkan anyaman yang kuat sebagai bahan dasar produk mebel, tas dan perkakas rumah tangga. Terjadi peningkatan ekonomi yang cukup signifikan dari eceng gondok basah (Rp. 150/kg) menjadi eceng gondok kering pilin (Rp. 4.500 / kg). Diperlukan introduksi teknologi berupa mesin pemilin eceng gondok yang dapat meningkatkan nilai ekonomi, kualitas dan kuantitas produk. Pada pelaksanaan program IbM ini, UKM Mitra (Kun Gallery dan KSU Muncul Makmur) berpartisipasi penuh terhadap perencanaan dan pelaksanaan program. Kegiatan yang dilaksanakan meliputi sosialisasi program, rancang bangun peralatan pemilin eceng gondok, pelatihan dan demonstrasi-plotting serta monitoring proses produksi. Rancang bangun alat pemilin eceng gondok merupakan inovasi teknologi dibidang mekanisasi produk kerajinan. Peralatan pemilin eceng gondok yang dihasilkan memiliki dimensi (150 x 75 x 75 ) cm, dengan daya listrik 450 watt. Keunggulan proses ini adalah motor bergerak dengan kecepatan yang seimbang dengan pemasukan bahan, sehingga akan meningkatkan driving force pemilinan, meningkatkan efisiensi energi >70%, meningkatkan mutu hasil pilinan eceng gondok,meningkatkan kapasitas produksi (50 kg/jam), penghematan biaya s/d 1520%, dan sesuai untuk diaplikasikan untuk skala UKM.

Abstract: Acknowledges that government is an important provider of information and services. Reckons that brand development is an important communications strategy. Concedes that many governments are moving aggressively to provide services electronically online. Wonders whether the US Web traffic is being fostered by the government correctly, but the privacy rights, transaction terms and usage rights have not been read at all in a proper fashion.