The IoT Rapid-Proto Labs Value Proposition for Start-ups and SMEs

The objective of the study is to identify and suggest relevant elements of value on which the IoT Rapid-Proto Labs will focus to correctly structure, define and create a value proposition for the start-ups and SME’s segments. Hence, the study develops on the idea of value creation in the context of university-industry cooperation and explores further on the concept of value proposition. Hence, a theoretical tool called “The Value Proposition Canvas” is used for mapping the elements of value which are essential for the start-ups and SMEs market segments. The study uses an inductive research method, and primary qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with start-ups and SMEs. The aim of these semi-structured interviews was to understand their interpretation of the value enhancing elements. Additionally, the secondary data were gathered through Internet searches, as saved time and resources. During the data collection and analysis of the research findings only the start-ups and SMEs perspectives were considered. The viewpoints of the HEIs and staff involved in the IoT Rapid-Proto Labs were excluded as they are not considered relevant for the identification of the needs and sources of anxieties of the start-ups and SMEs customer segments. Hence, the study exemplifies an outsider’s viewpoint which provides an impartial analysis and assessment of these results. The research interviews with start-ups and SMEs revealed that many types of jobs, pains and gains include concerns around activities such as funding, scalability, lack of operational capital, access to technical knowledge and other day-to day activities on which firms engage in order to generate revenue and eventually profit. Subsequently, interviewees highlighted that HEIs have different working pace compared to the private commercial consultancy firms. Hence, rapid-prototyping and rapid MVP deployment for commercialisation is a requirement sought from potential HEIs partners. In conclusion, this study recommends to create of a new value proposition based on interviewees suggestions, which includes two different components: cost effective rapid-prototyping and co-creation of MVP, rapid deployment for commercialisation. Moreover, the current four IoT Rapid Proto Labs value propositions were included as product and services within the value proposition canvas aiming to build an improved value proposition

Spectrum auctions: designing markets to benefit the public, industry and the economy

Access to the radio spectrum is vital for modern digital communication. It is an essential component for smartphone capabilities, the Cloud, the Internet of Things, autonomous vehicles, and multiple other new technologies. Governments use spectrum auctions to decide which companies should use what parts of the radio spectrum. Successful auctions can fuel rapid innovation in products and services, unlock substantial economic benefits, build comparative advantage across all regions, and create billions of dollars of government revenues. Poor auction strategies can leave bandwidth unsold and delay innovation, sell national assets to firms too cheaply, or create uncompetitive markets with high mobile prices and patchy coverage that stifles economic growth. Corporate bidders regularly complain that auctions raise their costs, while government critics argue that insufficient revenues are raised. The cross-national record shows many examples of both highly successful auctions and miserable failures. Drawing on experience from the UK and other countries, senior regulator Geoffrey Myers explains how to optimise the regulatory design of auctions, from initial planning to final implementation. Spectrum Auctions offers unrivalled expertise for regulators and economists engaged in practical auction design or company executives planning bidding strategies. For applied economists, teachers, and advanced students this book provides unrivalled insights in market design and public management. Providing clear analytical frameworks, case studies of auctions, and stage-by-stage advice, it is essential reading for anyone interested in designing public-interested and successful spectrum auctions

Research on Reliable Low-Power Wide-Area Communications Utilizing Multi-RAT LPWAN Technologies for IoT Applications

Předkládaná disertační práce je zaměřena na „Výzkum spolehlivé komunikace pro IoT aplikace v bezdrátových sítích využívajících technologie Multi-RAT LPWAN“. Navzdory značnému pokroku v oblasti vývoje LPWA technologií umožňující masivní komunikace mezi zařízeními (mMTC), nemusí tyto technologie výkonnostně dostačovat pro nově vznikající aplikace internetu věcí. Hlavním cílem této disertační práce je proto nalezení a vyhodnocení limitů současných LPWA technologií. Na základě těchto dat jsou nevrženy nové mechanismy umožňující snazší plánování a vyhodnocování síťového pokrytí. Navržené nástroje jsou vyladěny a validovány s využitím dat získaných z rozsáhlých měřících kampaních provedených v zákaznických LPWA sítích. Tato disertační práce dále obsahuje návrh LPWA zařízení vybavených více komunikačními rozhraními (multi-RAT) které mohou umožnit překonání výkonnostních limitů jednotlivých LPWA technologií. Současná implementace se zaměřuje zejména na snížení spotřeby zařízení s více rádiovými rozhraními, což je jejich největší nevýhodou. K tomuto účelu je využito algoritmů strojového učení, které jsou schopné dynamicky vybírat nejvhodnější rozhraní k přenosu.This doctoral thesis addresses the “Research on Reliable Low-Power Wide-Area Communications Utilizing Multi-RAT LPWAN Technologies for IoT Applications”. Despite the immense progress in massive Machine-Type Communication (mMTC) technology enablers such as Low-Power Wide-Area (LPWA) networks, their performance does not have to satisfy the requirements of novelty Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The main goal of this Ph.D. work is to explore and evaluate the limitations of current LPWA technologies and propose novel mechanisms facilitating coverage planning and assessment. Proposed frameworks are fine-tuned and cross-validated by the extensive measurement campaigns conducted in public LPWA networks. This doctoral thesis further introduces the novelty approach of multi-RAT LPWA devices to overcome the performance limitation of individual LPWA technologies. The current implementation primarily focuses on diminishing the greatest multi-RAT solutions disadvantage, i.e., increased power consumption by employing a machine learning approach to radio interface selection.

An Institutional Perspective on the role of the state in broadband delivery in Nigeria

Nigeria, often lauded for its immense economic potential, struggles with the formidable challenge of extending effective broadband services to all its regions, particularly unserved/underserved rural and suburban areas. Despite strategies such as enhanced licensing regimes for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), and the adoption of shared infrastructure policies, significant connectivity gaps remain. This research seeks to examine the issues surrounding broadband provision in Nigeria through three focal questions: the role of governance across multiple levels in broadband delivery, the enduring barriers — such as corruption and governance inefficiency — to its effective rollout, and the impact of the nation's industrial policy in telecommunications on broadband availability and efficacy. Employing a qualitative approach, the study engaged 26 participants from diverse sectors – including academics, ISP personnel, and policymakers – and conducted an analysis of archival government documents. Grounded in institutionalist political economy framework, the research offers a comprehensive view of Nigeria's telecommunications environment. The study brings to the fore a combination of factors like corruption, governance, and institutional barriers, revealing how they are rooted in Nigeria's historical and socio-political fabric. It also extends the traditional understanding of governance, highlighting its multi-faceted roles beyond policy execution to include regulation and oversight. The research culminates in actionable recommendations for policymakers and industry stakeholders, emphasising the need for coherent, well-executed industrial policies, and suggesting a shift in focus from policy justification to its practical implementation. Structured across seven chapters, this thesis offers empirical evidence, theoretical advancements, and practical guidelines aimed at fostering an interconnected, inclusive, and effective broadband infrastructure in Nigeria

Modular Optical Wireless Elements

Optical wireless has gained attention in recent years as an e cient and secure way to provide broadband connectivity to mobile platforms, isolated communities, and crowded public events. Companies like NASA, Google, Facebook, and others have demonstrated its potential. However, current optical wireless technology remains mostly heavy, bulky, and expensive, making it impractical for many scenarios and inaccessible to most students/researchers. This work presents the concept of Modular Optical Wireless Elements (MOWE), a novel system composed of multiple electrically interconnected optical modules (i.e., elements) forming a at or curved terminal that is inexpensive, lightweight, and easy-to-assemble. The technology enables cost-eff ective access to wide eld-of-view optical communication for last-mile broadband connectivity. Smart modules provide recon gurability, as well as local and central processing capabilities. The modules enable innovative short- and medium-range applications for free-space optics (FSO) in indoor communication and navigation, MIMO, and optical sensing, among others. This dissertation introduces the MOWE concept and provides in-depth information about modeling, analysis, hardware, and rmware, along with proof-of-concept examples and demonstrations. The notions of software-de ned optics and cognitive optics are introduced and analyzed in a MOWE context. Several experiments and case studies covering a wide spectrum of applications-from intelligent power control to passive beam steering-are presented in detail. This dissertation also discusses the future of MOWE technology and suggests possible improvements for high performance systems

Mechanisms of policy diffusion in the telecommunications sector; Universal Service Obligation and Spectrum Management in Morocco, Egypt and Jordan

Since the advent of the millennium, a growing interest has arisen in information and communication technologies (ICT) given the potential to bridge the digital divide. ICT have had a central role to play in terms of economic, regulatory and political development. Telecommunications is used in this thesis as a sector case to study policy diffusion, which focuses on the movement of policies across borders and actors. This thesis answers the following research question: does policy diffusion take place in the telecommunications sector in the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries? This is answered using qualitative methods, such as expert interviews and the comparison of six cases, composed of two sectors of ICT; Universal Service Obligation (USO) and spectrum management, and of three countries; Morocco, Jordan and Egypt. In case the research question is positively answered two further foci are central to the thesis. Firstly, the thesis explores the conditions leading to policy diffusion. The thesis argues that the conditions leading to policy diffusion are linked to different degrees of vulnerability of countries to external actors. This vulnerability is described through four variables, which reveals the levels of governance and market openness and economic and political interconnectedness of the adopting countries. Secondly, it scrutinizes the links between sector variables and mechanisms of diffusion. The argument of this part is that different combinations of these sector variables support the differentiation across the four traditional mechanisms of policy diffusion; learning, imitation, competition and coercion. The main contributions of this thesis are both theoretical, to the literature of policy diffusion and empirical, regarding telecommunications regulation in three MENA countries. The thesis underlines the key role of government administrations as the main driver for policy change in MENA countries, compared to international pressures and market forces. Furthermore this thesis concludes that, in the telecommunications sector, transgovernmental channels are nowadays omnipresent in the phenomenon of policy diffusion and are thus not sufficient to disentangle mechanisms of diffusion. The thesis examines the additional factors of efficiency, economic interests and sanction capacity for explanatory power