GSR-24 Best practice guidelines

09.07.2024

Regulators participating in the 2024 edition of the Global Symposium for Regulators adopted the following best practice guidelines to helping chart the course of transformative technologies for positive impact. “Helping to chart the course of transformative technologies for positive impact”  As telecommunication/ICT regulators, we play a key role in shaping a regulatory environment that enables the deployment and maintenance of cutting-edge infrastructure that support digital society of the future, including transformative technologies. Recalling the series of GSR Best Practice Guidelines since 2003 that capture established regulatory principles for a competitive, secure and inclusive enabling digital environment, we, the regulators participating in…

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Transformative technologies (AI) challenges and principles of regulation

08.05.2024

Introduction We are witnessing a remarkable transformation that is rapidly shaping the world as we know it. The pace of this change is exponential, driven by a wave of innovative technological trends that are changing how we live, work, and communicate. From the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, robotics, 3D printing, nanotechnology, augmented and virtual reality, these cutting-edge technologies are converging to usher us into a new digital era. This revolution is transforming every aspect of our lives, from how we conduct business to how we interact with one another,…

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National digital transformation strategy – mapping the digital journey

06.07.2023

Introduction The COVID-19 crisis has accelerated digital transformation across the globe. The lockdown situation pushed much of the world online, and the use of digital technologies became indispensable to guarantee the continuity of public, private, and social life. This acceleration has amplified processes that have been under way for decades, resulting in the pervasive impact of digital technologies on many domains: from the individual level (engaging in online learning, working, and shopping) to entire nations (shifting towards digital economies, governance, society), from companies (chasing new business models, new services, new ways to deliver) to entire industries (moving to process automation,…

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A case for ICT Regulatory Sandbox

03.04.2023

1. Introduction Digital innovations are conquering all fields of everyday life and business, faster than ever before. Similarly, digital innovators, researchers and digital developers are developing new technologies and business models and bringing them to market at a rapid pace. Policy makers and regulators need to not only keep abreast with the pace but also be able to anticipate shifts in the market. Regulators are keeping a close watch on these changes as they need to anticipate the regulatory changes that may be required to facilitate a conducive environment. Increasingly, regulators need to answer questions like “how can we make…

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ICT Market analysis and determination of dominance guidelines

27.10.2022

1 Market analysis process “Market analysis” means a review of the various existing markets for electronic communications services in a specific country, defined for the purposes of regulation. In an effectively competitive market, it is the dynamic interplay of several service providers that determines market outcomes, not individual competitors. In a market characterized by dominance[1], however, the dominant ICT operator or service provider will invariably make decisions that are to its commercial benefit, and which do not advance the economic welfare of customers. Dominance describes the power that enables one or more operator or service provider to make decisions and…

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The infrastructure sharing imperative

25.08.2022

1 Infrastructure as a societal asset People rely on network infrastructure almost every day, from the moment they wake up until the moment they go to sleep (and often through the night as well). Water, electricity, gas, roads, rail and telecommunications underpin modern societies throughout the world. But for most people most of the time they are so taken for granted as to be almost invisible. It is almost impossible to imagine a world without utilities: disparate, pre-industrial, subsistence communities with minimal interaction between them. Despite its ubiquity and critical importance, infrastructure is under threat. War, famine, a pandemic, climate…

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Towards gigabit networks – a few considerations from the United Kingdom[1]

06.06.2022

1: Introduction Many countries[2] agree that widely available gigabit-capable networks whether fixed or mobile will be needed and expected to increase competitiveness and productivity[3]. New telecommunication/ICT networks take a long time to build and expand and if economies are to benefit from gigabit-capable networks, significant investment will be needed. The following case study draws from the United Kingdom (UK) approach and sets out a few considerations that governments and ICT regulators may want to consider in moving their own economies onto the path of gigabit networks. The structure of the case study is as follows: Section 2 examines the investment…

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GSR BPG on regulatory uplift for financing digital

28.09.2021

GSR-21 Best practice guidelines on Regulatory uplift for financing digital infrastructure, access and use Digital technologies are now powering our economies and the way we live – our very future. Digitalization is fast revolutionizing productivity, employment, skills, services and markets. It changes the means of production, methods of delivery, lifestyles, patterns of consumption and the fabric of social intercourse. ICTs are now the foundation for every economic sector, for business performance and for national growth. This change is profound. Collaborative digital regulation addresses the complexity and the opportunity of this change through flexible and enabling policy frameworks. The COVID-19 pandemic…

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Enhancing the protection and cyber-resilience of critical information infrastructure

17.06.2021

Introduction In today’s highly connected, interdependent world, several critical infrastructure (CI) sectors, such as health care, telecommunications, finance, energy, among others, increasingly rely on information technology (IT) and operational technology[1] (OT) systems. Not only are these critical information infrastructures (CII) in their own right, for example, cloud-based technology services, but they also underpin many other critical services, for example, water supply, power grids, and fuel pipeline supply. The malfunctioning or disruption of these critical services could cause significant social and economic harm and even loss of life. For this reason, key stakeholders from the CI/CII ecosystem should adopt a strong…

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The ITU Guidelines on Child Online Protection

21.05.2021

1 Introduction The Internet has transformed how we live. It is entirely integrated into the lives of children and young people, making it impossible to consider the digital and physical worlds separately. With 69 per cent of young people online in 2019, and one in three children being connected, the Internet has become an integral part of children’s lives, presenting many possibilities for children and young people to communicate, learn, socialise and play, exposing children to new ideas and more diverse sources of information, opening opportunities for political and civic participation for children to be creative, and contribute to a…

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