Walled gardens: The new shape of the public internet

This paper argues that the global public internet is undergoing a long-term transformation from a uniform transmission platform to one in which data reachability will be increasingly compromised by emerging technical, political and commercial choices. This phenomenon is not new. It reflects changes away from the original end-to-end principle as a guiding design concept in internet engineering, as well as in the various forms of IP (internet protocol) filtering exercised by governments and other institutions around the world. The emphasis in this paper, however, is on less controversial developments, especially the growth in managed IP services and deployments of MPLS (multiprotocol label switching). The browser-centric public Web has been giving way to 'apps' and 'walled gardens'

The evolving nature of competition in the wireless ecosystem : emergent opportunities and threats

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2009.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Cataloged from student submitted PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references.By the end of 2008, there are over 4 billion mobile cellular subscriptions worldwide, translating into a penetration rate of 61%. In developed economies like the United States, the penetration rate has reached over 85%. Even though the subscriber numbers are reaching saturation levels, the revenues of mobile operators continue to grow at a double-digit rate. This is primarily because of an increase in data usage over cellular networks. Mobile handsets have become increasingly powerful and rival the capabilities of personal computers from just a few years ago. These devices can be used to run a variety of applications and are fast becoming the medium of choice for accessing the Internet. Cellular networks are also becoming increasingly powerful in their ability to carry large amounts of data. This evolution in capabilities has attracted a variety of new players to the wireless ecosystem changing the nature of interaction within the ecosystem. The central role played by the wireless operators is increasingly challenged by these new entrants creating both new opportunities and new threats for all the participants in the ecosystem. This thesis will explore the structure of the wireless ecosystem as it exists today and analyze how competition between various layers and within each layer has played out. Further, it will look at the new ways in which the participants are competing with each other and how this results in emergent opportunities and threats. Finally, the thesis will draw lessons from the Internet revolution and the personal computing ecosystem to predict how the platform wars are likely to play out and who has the opportunity to become the dominant player in the new ecosystem.by Nagarjuna Venna.S.M

An Examination of the Evolution of Broadband Technologies in the UK

The aim of this thesis is to examine the reasons due to which Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) became the most widely used technology to deliver broadband connectivity in the United Kingdom (UK). The research examines the outcome starting with events in 1960s when broadband as it is defined today did not exist. The research shows that a combination of factors involving regulatory decisions, changing market conditions, and unexpected technological breakthroughs contributed to the current day mix of broadband technologies in the last mile access in the UK. To interpret the events that have shaped the development, deployment, and adoption of broadband technologies in the UK, the thesis draws from various theoretical ideas related to Science and Technology Studies (STS) to understand and analyse the events. In order to discover and establish the historical context, the thesis employs original, unpublished interviews along with the extensive use of archival material and secondary sources. Influenced by some of the core ideas of social constructionist studies, this research combines concepts from economic studies of technological change along with themes involving maintenance of technology, path dependence, and the role of bandwagon effect. These research threads are combined to understand the way development, deployment, and adoption of broadband technologies took place in the UK. The research is intended to contribute to the understanding of technology in a constantly changing regulatory and socio-economic environment and how it is shaped by multiple factors. The targeted readership is researchers, analysts, and decision makers working with broadband technology, telecommunications policy, and STS. Further research is suggested in the form of studies of wireless broadband technologies and the role of regulatory policies in the development of the UK communications market

Flexible Investment Decisions in the Telecommunications Industry: Case Applications using Real Options

The telecommunications sector is one of the most innovative, high-growth, capitalintensive yet volatile sector of the economy. This research addresses critical concerns of how, when, and why an enterprise or a service provider should undertake new investments. The study investigates the power of flexibility in investment decision making process, by applying the real options methodology. Five case applications are studied: a) investment decisions in next generation wireless networks; b) investing in integrated wireless networks; c) migration to wireless broadband internet services; d) valuing deployment of Wi-Fi networks in enterprise markets; and e) valuing Hosted VOIP services for enterprise markets. The case studies are analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively

TECHNOLOGY, BUSINESS, & POLICY IMPLICATIONS AS THE COMMUNICATIONS ECOSYSTEM MOVES FROM POTS TO PANS

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Updating the Statutory Framework for Communications for the Digital Age: Issues for Congress

This report discusses the statutory framework for the communications sector that largely was enacted prior to the commercial development and deployment of digital technology, Internet Protocol (IP), broadband networks, and online voice, data, and video services