Open internet access to CATV networks: experiences from the EU

Broadband over CATV networks is flourishing in the EU and in some Member States it even has already made significant impact on the retail broadband market. Our article aims to provide an overview of the regulatory treatment of broadband over CATV under the electronic communications regulatory framework. For this purpose, we carry out a survey of the different approaches within the 27 EU Member States. Based on the comments of the European Commission within the EU consultation procedure, our observation is that open Internet access obligations upon CATV operators remains limited. --access regulation,CATV,broadband

Beyond Infrastructure: Broadband for Development in Remote and Indigenous Regions

Recent telecommunications stimulus projects in the U.S. and Canada were intended to increase availability of broadband through funding infrastructure investments, largely in rural and remote regions. However, true access involves more than availability; it also includes affordability and adoption. This paper presents a framework for analyzing broadband adoption that takes into consideration geographical, economic and cultural environments in indigenous communities. It includes an overview of potential social and economic impacts of broadband in remote areas, using examples from the Alaska study and the Canadian North. It then reports on results of an evaluation of Internet use and potential adoption of broadband in remote indigenous communities of southwest Alaska. Finally, the paper provides a comparative analysis of U.S. and Canadian policies intended to achieve affordable access to broadband for rural users and sustainable business models for rural broadband providers.Ye

Ubiquitous Internet in an integrated satellite-terrestrial environment: The SUITED solution

yesThe current Internet architecture appears to not be particularly suited to addressing the emerging needs of new classes of users who wish to gain access to multimedia services made available by ISPs, regardless of their location, while in motion and with a guaranteed level of quality. One of the main objectives of so-called nextgeneration systems is to overcome the limitations of today¿s available Internet by adopting an approach based on the integration of different mobile and fixed networks. The SUITED project moves in this direction since it aims at contributing to the design and deployment of the global mobile broadband system (GMBS), a unique satellite/terrestrial infrastructure ensuring nomadic users access to Internet services with a negotiated QoS. A description of the main features of the GMBS architecture, characterized by the integration of a multisegment access network with a federated ISP network is given in this article. The GMBS multimode terminal is schematically described, and an overview of the so-called QoS-aware mobility management scheme, devised for such a heterogeneous scenario,is provided

The State of Network Neutrality Regulation

The Network Neutrality (NN) debate refers to the battle over the design of a regulatory framework for preserving the Internet as a public network and open innovation platform. Fueled by concerns that broadband access service providers might abuse network management to discriminate against third party providers (e.g., content or application providers), policymakers have struggled with designing rules that would protect the Internet from unreasonable network management practices. In this article, we provide an overview of the history of the debate in the U.S. and the EU and highlight the challenges that will confront network engineers designing and operating networks as the debate continues to evolve.BMBF, 16DII111, Verbundprojekt: Weizenbaum-Institut für die vernetzte Gesellschaft - Das Deutsche Internet-Institut; Teilvorhaben: Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB)EC/H2020/679158/EU/Resolving the Tussle in the Internet: Mapping, Architecture, and Policy Making/ResolutioNe

Exploring age-related patterns in internet access: Insights from a secondary analysis of New Zealand survey data

About thirty years ago, when the Internet started to be commercialised, access to the medium became a topic of research and debate. Up-to-date evidence about key predictors, such age, is crucial because of the Internet's ever-changing nature and the challenges associated with gaining access to it. This paper aims to give an overview of New Zealand's Internet access trends and how they relate to age. It is based on secondary analysis of data from a larger online panel survey with 1,001 adult respondents. The Chi-square test of independence and Cramer's V were used in the analysis. The study provides new evidence to understand the digital divide. Specifically, it uncovers a growing disparity in the quality of Internet connectivity. Even though fibre is the most common type of broadband connection at home, older adults are less likely to have it and more likely to use wireless broadband, which is a slower connection type. Additionally, a sizable majority of people in all age categories have favourable opinions on the Internet. Interestingly, this was more prevalent among older people, although they report an increased concern about the security of their personal information online. The implications of the results are discussed and some directions for future research are proposed.Comment: 15 pages, 5 table

Hotspot Program for Digital Inclusion: Bridging the Divide through Hotspots, Training, and Self-Efficacy

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on student learning and service delivery. While it is widely perceived in the United States that everyone has internet access, only 47% of households making under 20,000 have broadband access (Sisneros &Sponsler 2016). With the rapid move to online learning during COVID-19, internet access became critical to student success; the expectation that all students would have access to the internet while learning from home was a common misconception. Lack of access to unlimited internet connectivity during online learning creates inequity between students along socio-economic lines. To address this inequity, SJSU Library proposed and received 150K for the Digital Inclusion Hotspot Program (DIHP) from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (ILMS). DIHP offers 100 hotspots to historically underserved student populations, along with information and digital literacy instruction, to help bridge the digital divide created by this lack of reliable internet access. Participants are also enrolled in a year-long online course in Canvas. Here they engage with skill-building modules and are able to communicate with instructors and peers. DIHP asks participants to complete a pre- and post- survey gauging self-efficacy in their digital literacy skills and ability to reliably access electronic content required for academic success. This poster session provides an overview of the DIHP program, including the findings of a pre- and post-survey addressing students’ digital skill self-efficacy, an overview of the Canvas course modules highlighting library digital resources, and student reflections on their experiences in the DIHP program

Implications of Network Convergence on Local Access Regulation in the U.S. and the EU

This paper provides an overview of telecommunications regulation in the U.S. and in Europe. For each region the history of telecommunications regulations as well as the current regulatory regime is portrayed. The focus of this overview is on the question of how unbundling regulations in the local access market have evolved in parallel to the convergence of telecommunications with Internet and broadcasting services. The criteria used by the regulatory authorities to identify those network elements which incumbents are required to offer to competitors at regulated rates are compared to the criteria provided by the “essential facilities doctrine”, a concept used in antitrust law. The analysis concludes that U.S. deregulation has gone too far with respect to some broadband access markets while in Europe, a severe tendency to overregulation is observed

Implications of Network Convergence on Local Access Regulation in the U.S. and the EU

This paper provides an overview of telecommunications regulation in the U.S. and in Europe. For each region the history of telecommunications regulations as well as the current regulatory regime is portrayed. The focus of this overview is on the question of how unbundling regulations in the local access market have evolved in parallel to the convergence of telecommunications with Internet and broadcasting services. The criteria used by the regulatory authorities to identify those network elements which incumbents are required to offer to competitors at regulated rates are compared to the criteria provided by the ?essential facilities doctrine?, a concept used in antitrust law. The analysis concludes that U.S. deregulation has gone too far with respect to some broadband access markets while in Europe, a severe tendency to overregulation is observed. --network convergence,unbundling regulation

Internet Connectivity Among Indigenous and Tribal Communities in North America - A Focus on Social and Educational Outcomes

Broadband access is an important part of enhancing rural community development, improving the general quality of life. Recent telecommunications stimulus projects in the U.S. and Canada were intended to increase availability of broadband through funding infrastructure investments, largely in rural and remote regions. However, there are various small, remote, and rural communities, who remain unconnected. Connectivity is especially important for indigenous and tribal communities to access opportunities for various public services as they are generally located in remote areas. In 2016, the FCC reported that 41% of U.S. citizens living on tribal lands, and 68% of those in the rural areas of tribal lands, lacked access to broadband, and that the lack of service hindered tribal nations from building their internal structures for self-governance, economic opportunity, education, public safety, and cultural preservation. It is significant to study the indigenous and tribal communities to bridge the digital divide and bring transformative change to these communities. Our findings show some geographic, economic, technological, and generational challenges for connectivity, some unique uses of connectivity for cultural practices, and its impact on educational outcomes in these communities. Since the inception of Southern California Tribal Network, high school graduation has become radically more attainable in these communities due to additional resources made available via the Internet. Connected North promoted interactive Internet learning for students in remote regions to combat endemic local social issues such as a low graduation rate of approximately 20%, and the highest global per capita suicide rate among youth. The contribution of this study is three-fold. First, we identify the geographic, economic, technological, and political challenges for reliable connectivity among indigenous and tribal communities. Second, we show how some tribes and advocacy groups are handling the connectivity themselves, such as operating community networks and remote educational services. Third, we provide an overview of potential impacts of broadband, primarily at the social and educational levels among indigenous and tribal communities. This study suggests approaches for more sustainable connectivity facilities to remote Indigenous communities and reinforces the need for community-driven initiatives to ensure connectivity is conducted in a culturally and technically appropriate manner