Six emerging trends in media and communications - occasional paper

This paper examines six emerging trends in media and communications, which highlight that consumers are increasingly using personalised access pathways to communications and content services that cut across different networks, devices and services. Introduction The ACMA monitors industry and consumer data to identify changes in the media and communications environment and their impact on regulatory settings. Previous ACMA research, such as Broken concepts1 and the Emerging issues2 series of papers, has identified areas of regulatory strain resulting from changes in this environment. The ACMA’s 2014 data collection program highlighted six further trends that are of particular interest as they indicate challenges to the regulatory frameworks within which the ACMA works. These trends illustrate how developments in communications device technologies and over-the-top (OTT) services and content offer both: new opportunities for businesses and individuals as consumers and citizens potential challenges to confident and optimal use of these new services. The evolving media and communications environment offers new ways to understand and achieve policy objectives, and may expose alternatives to ’black-letter’ regulation. However, changes in media and communications can also strain the effectiveness and efficiency of existing regulatory settings designed in an environment where content and communication services have been delivered by network owners over dedicated networks and devices. The selected trends highlight that consumers are increasingly using personalised access pathways to communications and content services that cut across different networks, devices and services. This paper looks at the implications of these six trends for existing regulatory settings

Emerging technologies for learning (volume 1)

Collection of 5 articles on emerging technologies and trend

Evidence-informed regulatory practice: an adaptive response, 2005‑15

Overview: In this occasional paper, the ACMA reflects on its regulatory practice over the past 10 years; specifically, the role of research in evidence-informed decision-making and regulation. It looks at how the ACMA has used research in an environment of ongoing change to document and build evidence, inform public debate about regulation, and build capability among our stakeholders to make communications and media work in Australia’s national interest

Strategy in the era of digitalization and industry convergence: the case of the media and telecommunications industries

The media and telecommunications industries have witnessed significant transformations due to digitalization. New players entered their market with over-the-top (OTT)services like WhatsApp disrupting the telecommunications industry and Netflix disrupting the media industry. But how did we get there? Strictly speaking, by means of industry convergence. Boundaries between industries are blurring, increasing the competition. An extensive research of the phenomenon is combined with practical examples from the media and telecommunications industries. Strategies chosen by companies from both industries point out the importance of staying competitive against OTT services

More playful user interfaces: an introduction

In this chapter we embed recent research advances in creating playful user interfaces in a historical context. We have observations on spending leisure time, in particular predictions from previous decades and views expressed in Science Fiction novels. We confront these views and predictions with what has really happened since the advent of computers, the Internet, Worldwide Web and sensors and actuators that are increasingly becoming integrated in our environments and in devices that are with us 24/7. And, not only with us, but also connected to networks of nodes that represent people, institutions, and companies. Playful user interfaces are not only interesting for entertainment applications. Educational or behavior change supporting systems can also profit from a playful approach. The chapter concludes with a meta-level review of the chapters in this book. In this review we distinguish three views on research and application domains for playful user interfaces: (1) Designing Interactions for and by Children, (2) Designing Interactions with Nature, Animals, and Things, and (3) Designing Interactions for Arts, Performances, and Sports

Community planning in the network society

Models of social change have yet to emerge that deal with planning for change at the local community level due to the growth of public network, the Internet. The interactive network is changing the way people live, the way people earn a living, and perhaps more importantly, the way people spend their leisure time. The understanding of the impacts such technological diffusion plays in sustaining the social capital of the smaller communities of America will be of importance to developers of public networks and planners of the local and regional communities. This thesis discusses major trends that will shape the future of social participation in smaller American communities. The thesis will lead a discussion of the history of technological diffusion in society and will focus on the acceptance of advanced means of communication and information processing within various forms of social groups. After such discussion, a proposed Human/Network Interface (HuNI) model will provide a structure for the evolving roles of social groups with regard to the increasing pervasiveness of advanced network communications. Using the HuNI model as a framework, the thesis will conclude with a discussion of practical implications for planners concerning the influence the Internet will have on smaller communities