Broadband universal service in Europe:A review of policy consultations 2005-2010

Recognition of the growing importance of broadband to the public presents challenges for policy-makers in introducing efficient strategies, not only to serve the increasing demand for broadband among people in society but also to increase their economic contribution both in the short run and in the long run. Different measures and strategies have been implemented in many countries and regions in order to encourage broadband deployment. Among them, the inclusion of broadband in the scope of universal service has been discussed.In the European Union, the discussion on broadening the scope of the Universal Service Directive (USD) to include broadband has been raised since the first periodical review in 2005. At that time, the European Commission concluded that only a small, although rapidly growing, minority of European consumers currently make use of broadband services. Therefore, the conditions for including broadband services within the scope of universal service as set out in the USD were not fulfilled. Later, the European Commission launched the second periodical review of universal service in 2008 with the preliminary conclusion that broadband has not yet reached the majority of people, implying that the conditions of the USD for expanding the scope of universal service were not yet fulfilled. However, the public consultation on broadening the scope of the USD to include broadband has been opened since March 2010 and was last on May 7, 2010. In the meantime, the public workshop organized in the context of the public consultation on universal service principles in e-communications was held on March 30, 2010. The workshop provided wide-ranging views on the topic, including an assessment of the cost of broadband availability and also the rapid change of broadband penetration rate throughout Europe. Against this background, this paper provides an analytical survey of the current state and trends of universal service with focus on broadband access in the European Union. First it presents an overview of broadband deployment and regulation in Europe. Then, it analyzes the USD reviews by taking into account the previous and the recent review, in particular by comparing the discourse evolution of the public submissions from stakeholders in the two consultations. A framework to evaluate broadband universal service will be provided. In conclusion, the paper will identify selected issues regarding broadband universal service in Europe, especially the pros and cons of broadband universal serviceuniversal service obligation, broadband, legislations, public consultaitons

Digital Infrastructure: Overcoming the digital divide in China and the European Union. CEPS Research Report, November 2017

This study is the result of collaboration among a group of researchers from CEPS and Zhejiang University (ZJU), who decided to team up and analyse the experience of China and the EU in bridging the digital divide. While acknowledging that both China and Europe have undertaken major efforts to reduce socio-economic and geographical disparities by providing network access to ever more citizens, the authors found that investing in physical access alone is not sufficient to enhance inclusion in the information society. They argue that public authorities should also adopt corollary policies to spur social and economic cohesion through innovations that enable disadvantaged regions to catch up with more developed urban areas. In this context, the report calls upon governments to promote digital innovation and entrepreneurship, foster coordinated efforts and adapt their educational systems to the changing labour market

e-Government in Greece: bridging the gap between need and reality

Increased use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in all layers of society, and especially in the public sector, is being promoted by the EU through various programmes and frameworks. Although Greece is keen to promote the information society, e government appears shyly on the horizon, mainly with the establishment of citizen service centres’. The reasons why full interactive online presence is still in its infancy in Greece, at least at a local government level, are considered and recommendations made for further research

Spatial implications of digitization: State of the field and research agenda

Digitization is an influential megatrend that is quickly and comprehensively transforming economic spaces worldwide. Its disruptive power has not yet been fully developed but, despite a lack of topical empirical or theoretical research, it nevertheless seems clear that it will significantly affect the economic order within and between economic spaces and places. Currently, digitization is high on the policy agenda in many countries. Several related programs and initiatives combine expansion and improvement of digital infrastructure with efforts to reduce spatial economic inequality and to facilitate a general catch-up process for lagging (often rural) regions. However, the idea that digitization can reduce spatial inequality remains highly controversial. This study aims to focus on the economic geography implications of digitization and to enrich the existing literature in two ways. First, the study overviews the state of research on the spatial consequences of digitization. Deploying a comprehensive literature review, this section discusses the primary theoretical and empirical results from two contradictory narratives on the ability of digitization to reinforce the death of distance and thus reduce spatial inequality. Second, we develop a research agenda concerning select fields of research that could appropriately be addressed in the future by economic geographers. These fields include spatial economic digitization effects, digital competencies, entrepreneurial activities, and innovation activities in both urban and rural regions. Closing the research gaps would contribute to the development of much-needed policy measures. © 2020 The Authors. Geography Compass published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd

e-Government in Greece: opportunities for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of local government

Currently in Greece, the Operational Programme for the Information Society (OPIS) is promoting ICT in the public sector. However, a content study of Greek government websites reveals that at local level e-government has generally not progressed beyond the information presentation stage. The findings of an online survey of government employees and interviews with key government officials suggest reasons for this. Recommendations are made for facilitating the development and implementation of full interactive local e-government

TeleCities : a new geography of governance? : an institutional, relational and scalar analysis of a transnational network

In recent years there has been a steady rise in the amount of cities engaing in collaborative transnational networking. Perceived as a valid response to the threats of globalisation and the internationalisation of the economy, cities have formulated partnerships that transcend the remit of their locality enabling them a new mobility. Predominantly focused at the European scale, individual cities are establishing transnational networks that aim to harness and aggregate isolated pockets of power into a powerful cohesive institutional identity that allow them a collective voice and a potential degree of influence within European governance structures.Using the TeleCities network as an empirical focus, this thesis aims to explore the spatial implications within this potential 'new geography of governance'. To do this theories of institutional ism, reflexivity and scale are used to construct an analytical framework that explores the implications and processes of transnational networking. This is then applied to a three way case study methodology that aims to examine the process and attributes of transnational networking from a multi-scalar perspective.In doing so, the thesis provides a theoretical and empirical contextualisation to the origins, functionality and relationality of a transnational network and its ability to link actors and processes at different spatial scales

Regional Policy in Times of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic started as a health crisis with a spatially uneven incidence of infections and fatalities across countries and regions, and across sections of society and age groups. A number of factors have influenced the spatial concentration of cases including population density, economic activity, demographic and health factors. The initial socio-economic impact of the crisis has also been uneven across individual countries, regions and cities, determined not only by the severity of the health outbreak and the stringency of the containment measures, but also by other factors such as economic exposure and fiscal capacity of discretionary policies

Towards A knowledge-Based Economy - Europe and Central Asia - Internet Development and Governance

The diversity and socio-economic differentiation of the real world prevents the full-scale cultivation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to the benefit of all. Furthermore, the lack of determination and political will in some countries and slowness of responses to new technological opportunities in some others are responsible for the creation of another social divide – a digital one. The above problems were fully acknowledged by the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). The Summit called for a joint international effort to overcome the digital divide between and within the United Nations Member States under the Digital Solidarity umbrella. This report was prepared as a follow-up to the Summit and represents a brief review of the status and trends in the area of ICT and Internet development in the UNECE region and provides background information on the state of the art in some relevant ICT subsectors in the Member States. The report focuses on the state of the Internet critical resources and, consequently, on the ICT and Internet penetration across countries and social groups. It also looks into existing Internet governance arrangements and makes some recommendations. The report contains three parts and conclusions. The first part, “Towards a Knowledge-based Economy: Progress Assessment”, highlights the situation in the region with regards to the digital divide, both between and within countries, and national strategies and actions aiming at overcoming barriers to accessing the Internet. The second part, “Internet Development: Current State of Critical Internet Resources in the UNECE Region”, concentrates on reviewing the physical Internet backbone, interconnection and connectivity within the Internet in the UNECE Member States. The third part, “Governing the Evolving Internet in the UNECE Region”, focuses on the issues of Internet Governance in the countries of the region, challenges faced by the countries and participation of key stakeholders in ICT and Internet policy formulation and implementation. The final part contains conclusions and recommendations.Internet, governance, knowledge-based economy, Europe, Central Asia, transition economies