Access for All: Value Creation and Demand

01.09.2025

Introduction The broadband ecosystem consists of two key components – supply and demand. On the demand side, value creation is essential to universal service initiatives. This aligns with the Broadband Commission’s observation that there has been a fundamental shift from supply-driven communications access to demand-driven communication (Broadband Commission 2023). While many communities and individuals around the world recognize the value and importance of connectivity, others may need additional support, such as incentives, education, or expanded opportunities to access online services. By understanding the dynamics that impact broadband demand and value creation, policymakers and other government stakeholders can create effective strategies…

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Policies to promote inclusion

01.09.2025

Cross-sectoral policies: digital skills and literacy Universal access (UA) policies – and more recently, universal and meaningful connectivity (UMC) policies – have evolved to extend beyond the information and communications technology (ICT) sector itself, more broadly including cross-sectoral approaches that can leverage ICT benefits across multiple economic segments. The ideas of empowering users and leading to positive impact are arguably the ultimate goals of cross-sectoral policies intended to improve and expand the use of ICTs to achieve broader development goals. Perhaps the most prominent example of cross-sectoral thinking is demonstrated by the inclusion of digital skills in UMC policies and…

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Guide to Meaningful Public Consultations: Collaborative Regulation from Foundations to Sustainable Practices

29.08.2025

About this Guide This Guide was jointly developed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Ofcom, the UK’s independent communications regulator. The Guide is a new tool in the portfolio of tools for national regulators and regulatory associations to support evidence-based decision-making. It provides practical guidance and a blueprint for effectively engaging and conducting regulatory consultations with stakeholders from government, private sector, and civil society and enhancing the outcomes of stakeholder involvement in policy and decision-making processes. Using a blended approach, the guide draws from insights from 13 interviews with regulators across all regions, various resources on good regulatory practices…

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Deep Dive: Industry codes of practice

25.08.2025

Intended as a complement to rules-based regulatory models, industry codes of practice can help establish clear regulatory goals and best practices. According to the Kenya Communications Authority‘s (CA) approach to developing codes of practice, the mechanism is defined as “a set of professional standards or written guidelines agreed on by members of a particular profession, or written guidelines issued by an official body or a professional association to its member, to help them comply with its ethical standards” (ITU 2023). The Kenya Communications Authority’s approach to developing codes of practice Source: ITU, Collaborative regulation for digital transformation in Kenya: A…

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Deep Dive: Common elements of collaboration agreements between agencies

25.08.2025

An inter-agency collaboration agreement is a written agreement between two or more parties, outlining the terms of collaboration or cooperation to reach one or more common objectives. Such agreements, frequently drafted as an MOU or a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), establish a legal basis for collaboration and outline participants’ roles and functions; responsibilities; allocation of funds; and short-, medium- and long-term goals. Typical provisions might also include processes for inter-agency information-sharing, investigations, enforcement, training, and external outreach (DHS 2006). MOUs or MOAs used by ICT regulators can include the following components: an introduction to the specific policy problem addressed by…

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Deep Dive: Collaboration between competition and ICT authorities

25.08.2025

Importance of ICT regulator and competition authority collaboration As noted in Intragovernmental Collaboration, a common area of overlap between vertical and horizontal regulatory approaches is competition in the ICT sector. As such, competition and ICT regulators often work together to achieve common goals in line with their mandates. In some cases, cooperation tools are envisaged in legislation, other times agencies frame them in formal agreements, such as MOUs/MOAs, and in other cases regulators choose to cooperate informally. Often, informal cooperation is the precursor to future – and formal – cooperation. Collaboration between ICT and competition regulators is a common and…

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Collaborative governance

25.08.2025

Importance of collaborative regulation Over the last several years, ITU has developed a comprehensive model for tracking the maturity of telecommunications markets – the Generations of Regulation Model. The model presents a framework for considering how policy and regulation have evolved over recent decades, from a narrower telecommunications focus to a broader ICT focus and ultimately to collaborative digital governance (Figure 1) (ITU 2023a). As presented by ITU, fifth-generation (G5) regulation is framed under the premise ‘collaboration across sectors, cooperation across borders, and engagement across the board.’ Figure 1. Generations of regulation Source: ITU Leading G5 regulation is the desired…

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Overview of 6G (IMT-2030)

28.04.2025

Introduction With the promise of ushering in new, innovative use cases and unprecedented capabilities, IMT-2030 represents the next generation of wireless connectivity. As part of the overall International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT), 6G technologies were officially named “IMT-2030” during the Radiocommunication Assembly 2023 (RA-23) (ITU‑R 2023a), 6G presents countries and their regulatory bodies with new challenges related to licensing, competition, market impact, and consumer protection. Expected to be launched by 2030, 6G networks remain early in their development though the ITU and countries around the world are actively engaged in research and technology developments. In addition to enhanced connectivity, anticipated applications…

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Satellite direct-to-device services

28.04.2025

Introduction Advancements in satellite-based connectivity have created opportunities for policymakers to address connectivity challenges, particularly in remote or underserved areas. One such innovation is satellite direct-to-device (D2D) communication, enabling direct interaction between satellites and end-user devices such as smartphones. This can be achieved through two primary approaches: utilizing frequency spectrum allocated to the mobile-satellite service (MSS) or frequency spectrum allocated to the land mobile service (LMS), the latter, in particular by the use of the spectrum identified for terrestrial International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT). These technologies are designed to bridge connectivity gaps in urban, suburban, and remote areas, including maritime, aeronautical,…

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Spectrum management: Key applications and regulatory considerations driving the future use of spectrum

25.04.2025

Introduction In an increasingly digital environment, adequate access to spectrum is key to expanding the deployment and coverage of telecommunication networks and addressing the ever-increasing demand for data services. These networks support a variety of online applications, extending the impact of spectrum management to several sectors of the economy by transforming the way people access resources for health, transportation, education, agriculture, employment, government, financial services, and entertainment. As a scarce resource, spectrum requires proper management by regulators to ensure equitable access and an interference-free environment among different users and services, as well as to introduce new technologies. Accordingly, there is…

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