International Broadband Deployment: The Impact of Unbundling

This paper shows that unbundling an incumbent's infrastructure only results in a substantial improvement in broadband deployment for middle-income countries, but not for their high income counterparts. Our statistical analysis of approximately 100 countries showed that GDP per capita, population, competition and unbundling are all factors that can lead a carrier to provide broadband services in a country. The logit models show that unbundling has a significant positive impact on the availability of broadband services. The OLS analysis indicates that GDP per capita, population size, price, competition, the percentage of dial-up Internet users, and hosts all have positive effects on the number of subscribers. One implication of these results is that if a policy is to be implemented to promote broadband, it should either foster competition through unbundling and/or reduced prices. Efforts to develop local content can also improve broadband adoption.broadband; unbundling; competition

Net Centric Distribution of Video Signal and Must Carry Rules in the U.S.

We are moving to a net centric video distribution model. There is thus a need to rethink must carry rules. In this paper we evaluate the process of transition to a model without must carry rules using an organizational change perspective: leadership; engagement and participation; planning and strategy; process; and outcome evaluation. It concludes that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission did not adequately respond to the needs of the sector and the lack of a transition strategy may have impaired the evolution of the video distribution sector towards a business model that can accomplish both access to greater variety as well as the survival of some local station producers.must carry rules, net centric video distribution, FCC.

Theory construction: Finding your contribution

Computers, digital libraries and the Internet in general have led to an explosion of research that is often difficult to keep up with our fields. The vast amount of academic papers available to researchers makes it difficult to determine what to read or even figure out where we can make a contribution. This workshop focuses on the process of theory development and how to find holes in the literature where a contribution can be made. Participants will be made aware of software applications (some of which are open), that can facilitate the theory development process with visualizations, citation analysis graphs and reference software for example. The workshop is unique because it falls in a niche that is not covered in either methodological or philosophy of science texts. Unlike other contributions on theory development which are much more formally presented, this workshop will be much more practical in nature. It is intended to guide the research and theory construction process to make it easier for scholars to be able to successfully and more effectively make a contribution to their fields. It provides a practical and systematic approach to the research process beyond traditional methods of research design or philosophy. Today, contributions are almost random given that they are, for the most part, relying on articles that scholars find in databases with little or no strategies to identify the most relevant or from papers that advisers recommend

Resource Transfer in the Adoption of Electronic Commerce in Mexico

This paper identifies some of the obstacles that Mexican firms face in their efforts to start businesses using the Internet. In particular it addresses the issues of lack of financial resources, poor access to information infrastructure, and lack of consumer credit. The paper applies the resource-based theory of the firm, institutional economics, and Porter’s national competitive advantage to argue that small firms and entrepreneurs that want to start a business in Mexico should do so by taking advantage of the resources available in other countries. In a sense they can transfer some of the resources and institutions they lack which, in the case of Mexico, come primarily from the United States

FINANCIAL AND FAMILIAL CHALLENGES FACED BY UNDOCUMENTED FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

As a first-generation student, it is difficult to navigate a higher education with little to no support. Having an undocumented status as a first-generation student the challenges and barriers increase. This study utilized snowball sampling through qualitative virtual interviews with 10 undocumented first-generation students. The data collected from the interviews was presented using content thematic analysis. The three major themes identified were access and barriers to financial resources, meeting family and educational expectations and perseverance. The findings identified the limited financial resources for undocumented students, and the influence of the family unit on the student’s educational experience. A key finding of this research was students’ determination to overcome their unique obstacles. This study identified the gaps in assistance and resources available through college institutions. Researchers recognized recommendations to address the gaps, by incorporating collaborations between institutional programs and emphasizing the importance of social work professionals to continue practicing cultural competency. A suggestion for future research is to increase sample size by connecting with different institutions initially

Assessing the Impact of Internet Telephony on the Deployment of Telecommunications Infrastructure

The purpose of this research is to determine whether Internet telephony has had a negative impact on a country’s telecommunications infrastructure. Using panel data the statistical analysis shows that call-back did not have a negative effect on infrastructure and high income countries benefited from that technology. Internet telephony shows a negative impact in high and lower middle income countries but at such a small scale that governments should not be concerned. Additionally the year variables show that for all income levels infrastructure has increased which means that if this technology will show any negative effects it will be in a gradual manner and should give carriers enough time to adjust their practices

Do mobile phones help expand social capital? An empirical case study

The rapid adoption of mobile phones, particularly in developing countries, has led a number of researchers to investigate their impact on socioeconomic activity in the developing world. However, until the recent advent of smart communication devices, mobile phones were primarily a relations management technology that enabled people to stay connected with each other. In this article, we focus on this basic function and analyze how people use this technology as a tool to expand their social capital. We use a dataset containing more than three billion call detail records from Rwanda’s largest telecommunication operator, covering the whole country during the period from 1 July 2014 to 31 March 2015, and combine these records with data from the fourth Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda in 2015. We found that people’s calling patterns significantly correlated with the income level of their region, which also dictated the destinations of their calls, with middle-income regions acting as a link between the richest and the poorest regions. From these results, we propose a framework for understanding the role of mobile phones in the development of social capital

AMONG MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS, WHAT HAS A HIGHER IMPACT ON LEVELS OF STRESS: SPIRITUALITY, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, OR SELF-COMPASSION

The main objective of this study was to determine which coping mechanisms have a higher impact on levels of stress in MSW graduate students. The distinctive aspect of this study was that the three primary points that were examined in MSW graduate students were spirituality, physical activity, and self-compassion. This study gathered quantitative data from students that were enrolled in the Master of Social Work program. There were a total of 102 participants in this study. A variety of bivariate analyses were conducted to assess the collected data. Significant outcomes from this study revealed that self-compassion was the best mitigator of stress levels. Spirituality was also found to be helpful in mitigating stress levels. Recommendations included the promotion of self-compassion in MSW graduate programs, along with agencies that provide additional training on self-compassion. Another important recommendation was for future studies to include date from other universities with MSW programs in order to expand and enrich the data