Standards, IPR and digital TV convergence: theories and empirical evidence

Media convergence presents a few noticeable dimensions, and requests an interdisciplinary research approach. We conduct a long-run analysis of the main initiatives of technological standardization carried out in the realm of “traditional” (cable, satellite and terrestrial) digital TV, focusing on Europe, to assess the technological determinants of its apparent trends to convergence. This analysis inevitably calls into question IPR strategies and policies. In particular, we investigate how private incentives and the public agenda for interoperability have shaped the on-going convergence of the TV sector toward an “IP-based” meta-platform. Despite the widespread usage of open standards and formats, the real potential for interoperability along the digital TV filière has been modest, and mostly limited to the transmission segment. This is mainly due to the strong proprietary features characterizing the TV sector, where viable content production and provision rests on effective control of content IPR. Further, patent portfolio strategies and control of crucial copyrights become increasingly central for competing in the converging TV sector, where former telecom companies, traditional TV operators and new OTT players strive to become gatekeepers of essential layers of the new IP-based delivery platforms. To sum up, while technological opportunities today do enable pervasive media interoperability and affordable convergence at the user-level, private incentives relentlessly push the industry toward standards fragmentation and the construction of walled gardens

Il divario digitale infrastrutturale delle Marche

Undoubtedly a fast and sustainable migration to the most innovative eServices requires the preliminary availability of a pervasive, reliable and updated digital network infrastructure. Unfortunately, in Italy nor the Market neither the State promptly worked to solve the enduring infrastructural digital divide affecting many less populated areas of the country. Although the awareness of this divide in the public opinion has recently grown, the accumulated retard persists, and reduces the competitiveness of the national economy, now adversely impacted by the structural crisis and the industrial decline. In this work we critically discuss the conventional empirical evidences available on the Marche Region, and we present new and more accurate ones. Contrary to the received wisdom, it emerges that Marche and more generally the NEC area remain among the most disadvantaged regions of the country, also due to the polycentric and diffused characters of their model of socio-economic and urban development. Looking into the near future, we envisage that the passage to the next generation of broadband (NGAN) will accentuate the existing coverage and quality problems of the digital infrastructure while, considering the employable public funds, to date there isn’t any trace of a prospective landmark change in policy-making

La banda larga del Veneto: stato, orientamenti e politiche

The implementation of DAE (Digital Agenda for Europe) progresses, and by 2013 a first main target – the universal coverage of basic broadband - should have been achieved within the EU. Unfortunately, member states and regions continue to show persistent differences in terms of Information Society developments. Regional policies also differ, and these can play a substantial role – especially with supply-side investments targeted at the solution of the infrastructural digital divide. We focus on the case of Veneto region, where ICT and broadband developments are correctly perceived to be an essential ingredient to cope with the economic recession and industrial decline. After critically examining the condition and the recent evolution of regional broadband supply , we try to assess the main policies. On overall, our analysis positively evaluates the regional policy-making, while at the same time recognizing that the shortcomings of the initial situation (geographic morphology of the territory, technical conditions of the existing copper network, demographic characteristics and the territorially dispersed model of economic activity) call for stronger public financial means - lacking private incentives. Moreover, we generalize our analysis looking at the next challenges posed by the current transition to NGAN

La banda larga del Veneto: stato, orientamenti e politiche

The implementation of DAE (Digital Agenda for Europe) progresses, and by 2013 a first main target – the universal coverage of basic broadband - should have been achieved within the EU. Unfortunately, member states and regions continue to show persistent differences in terms of Information Society developments. Regional policies also differ, and these can play a substantial role – especially with supply-side investments targeted at the solution of the infrastructural digital divide. We focus on the case of Veneto region, where ICT and broadband developments are correctly perceived to be an essential ingredient to cope with the economic recession and industrial decline. After critically examining the condition and the recent evolution of regional broadband supply , we try to assess the main policies. On overall, our analysis positively evaluates the regional policy-making, while at the same time recognizing that the shortcomings of the initial situation (geographic morphology of the territory, technical conditions of the existing copper network, demographic characteristics and the territorially dispersed model of economic activity) call for stronger public financial means - lacking private incentives. Moreover, we generalize our analysis looking at the next challenges posed by the current transition to NGAN

Standards, IPR and digital TV convergence: theories and empirical evidence

Media convergence presents a few noticeable dimensions, and requests an interdisciplinary research approach. We conduct a long-run analysis of the main initiatives of technological standardization carried out in the realm of “traditional” (cable, satellite and terrestrial) digital TV, focusing on Europe, to assess the technological determinants of its apparent trends to convergence. This analysis inevitably calls into question IPR strategies and policies. In particular, we investigate how private incentives and the public agenda for interoperability have shaped the on-going convergence of the TV sector toward an “IP-based” meta-platform. Despite the widespread usage of open standards and formats, the real potential for interoperability along the digital TV filière has been modest, and mostly limited to the transmission segment. This is mainly due to the strong proprietary features characterizing the TV sector, where viable content production and provision rests on effective control of content IPR. Further, patent portfolio strategies and control of crucial copyrights become increasingly central for competing in the converging TV sector, where former telecom companies, traditional TV operators and new OTT players strive to become gatekeepers of essential layers of the new IP-based delivery platforms. To sum up, while technological opportunities today do enable pervasive media interoperability and affordable convergence at the user-level, private incentives relentlessly push the industry toward standards fragmentation and the construction of walled gardens

Il divario digitale infrastrutturale delle Marche

Undoubtedly a fast and sustainable migration to the most innovative eServices requires the preliminary availability of a pervasive, reliable and updated digital network infrastructure. Unfortunately, in Italy nor the Market neither the State promptly worked to solve the enduring infrastructural digital divide affecting many less populated areas of the country. Although the awareness of this divide in the public opinion has recently grown, the accumulated retard persists, and reduces the competitiveness of the national economy, now adversely impacted by the structural crisis and the industrial decline. In this work we critically discuss the conventional empirical evidences available on the Marche Region, and we present new and more accurate ones. Contrary to the received wisdom, it emerges that Marche and more generally the NEC area remain among the most disadvantaged regions of the country, also due to the polycentric and diffused characters of their model of socio-economic and urban development. Looking into the near future, we envisage that the passage to the next generation of broadband (NGAN) will accentuate the existing coverage and quality problems of the digital infrastructure while, considering the employable public funds, to date there isn’t any trace of a prospective landmark change in policy-making

La Validazione Statistica di test standardizzati di profitto: principali aspetti di metodo e due casi di studio sulla valutazione degli apprendimenti nella scuola primaria

Il lavoro si propone di ripercorrere alcune metodologie generali di analisi dei test per la valutazione degli apprendimenti, discutendo i risultati ottenuti in due casi di studio riguardanti le prove preparate dal Servizio Nazionale di Valutazione (SNV) dell’INVALSI per la classe seconda della scuola primaria. In particolare, viene descritto il processo di analisi dei pre-test attraverso l’utilizzo congiunto degli indicatori derivanti dalla Classical Test Theory e dei modelli di Item Response Theory

Editoriale: “La PA digitale: un ossimoro italiano?”

This is the Editorial of a special issue of the journal Prisma on: "Innovation in Public Administration: Technologies, Services and Outcomes"

Editoriale: “La PA digitale: un ossimoro italiano?”

This is the Editorial of a special issue of the journal Prisma on: "Innovation in Public Administration: Technologies, Services and Outcomes"