From the “broadband ditch” to the release of the 2010 US national broadband plan. A short history of the broadband penetration debate in the US

The paper provides an historical account of the policy debate that took place in the United States after the 2007 release of the OECD's broadband statistics. It explains why and in what context such a debate occurred (lack of relevant statistics from the FCC, dissatisfaction of some stakeholders with the deregulation of broadband, role of new players). The paper reviews the policy options proposed by the main players to foster the deployment of broadband, among others the potential inclusion of broadband in the scope of the US universal service, the need for a national policy, and implementation/funding issues. It puts into perspective the national broadband plan proposed by the FCC in March 2010.broadband, competition, industrial policies, government intervention, universal service, open internet, deregulation, rankings/ benchmarking countries.

Paving the way to e-services: Innovation through online games

The transformative power of organizational and service innovations on value or supply chains has been the object of several studies. The question identified in this paper is how disruptive trends in the videogames world can have spill-over effects in the broader realm of e-services. Section 1 opens with a brief review of literature. Section 2 proposes a description of the on-line games industrial ecosystem, the characteristics of the production process and the value chain in the online video games industry. The main techno-economic models for the production and distribution of online games are described in a third section with an emphasis on service creation, and illustrated by some case studies. The last part highlights the trend of innovative paths towards an economy of e-Services which are driven by the evolution of online games in a converged environment. --Online value creation,virtual world,virtual good,value chain,digital content convergence,new business models,services

Changing Modes of Asset Management: IPR and Copyright in the Digital Age

The first chapter of the report briefly sums up the main elements of the academic debate around IPR. The second moves to the economic case and analyses its different aspects: weight of copyrighted industries, level of revenues generated for creators, role in business models (old and new) but also its limitations, focusing on the case of patents. The third chapter looks closely the legal strategies of the copyrighted industries. The fourth chapter presents the policies which attempt to deal with the various facets of this complex issue. The fifth section offers conclusion on the changes needed and the balance that must be found between major policy goalsJRC.J.3-Information Societ

The Case of Byen Kobenhavn as a European ICT Pole of Excellence. Experts' Insights into Public Policies

The European ICT Poles of Excellence (EIPE) research project is a joint project of DG CNECT and the JRC Institute for Prospective Technological Studies that established the conditions for defining, identifying, analysing and monitoring the existence and progress of current and future European ICT Poles of Excellence (EIPE), in order to distinguish these among the many European ICT clusters, observe their dynamics and offer an analysis of their characteristics. A case study report investigates 5 selected EIPEs – Inner London East, Paris, Kreisfreie Stadt Darmstadt, Dublin and Byen Kobenhavn. It presents and interprets the data collected during the course of the project to understand the actual facts, context and story of each location, i.e. its R&D, innovation and business activity. The case study report is complemented by 4 short notes, which offer the summarised views of local experts on the role played by public policies in the emergence and the sustainability of ICT activity in their region. The present note is on Copenhagen.JRC.J.3-Information Societ

The Asian Rise in ICT R&D - Looking for Evidence. International Conference

The Information Society Unit of the JRC-IPTS has been investigating the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector and its R&D in Asia for several years as an extension of its research efforts for the PREDICT project. The conference was organised as part of this on-going research to gather the most recent information on the Asian ICT scene.JRC.DDG.J.4-Information Societ

The ICT Landscape in Brazil, India and China

The Information Society Unit at IPTS (European Commission) has been investigating the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector and ICT R&D in Asia for several years. This research exercise led to three reports, written by national experts, on China, India and Taiwan, each one including a dataset and a technical annex. This report offers a synthesis on three out of the four BRIC countries (Brazil, India, Russia, China). The report describes, for each of the three countries (Brazil, India, China), its ICT sector, and gives a company level assessment. It also analyses Indian ICT R&D strategies, and assesses the innovation model. In 2010, BRIC countries accounted for 13% of global demand, with spending of about €328 billion in ICT (EITO, 2011). Therefore, they are becoming major players as producers of ICT goods and services. China has become the world’s largest producer of ICT products (exports of ICT increased fourfold between 2004 and 2008). This impressive growth of the ICT market is translated into R&D expenditures and output. Innovative capability in Asia has grown, the dynamics in terms of catching up are strong. Asian countries are increasingly present in the ICT R&D global landscape.JRC.J.3-Information Societ

Models of ICT Innovation. A Focus on the Cinema Sector

The report starts by looking at the competing and overlapping definitions of creative industries, media and content industries. Chapter 1 investigates the fate of R&D and innovation in the creative industries and in the broader Telecom Media and Technology sectors. Chapter 2 summarizes past studies on innovation in distinct media and content industries (videogames, music recording and newspapers publishing) and draws some lessons from them. Chapter 3 delves more deeply into the specific case of cinema. This chapter investigates the film industry's complex and evolving relationship with technologies and technological inventions. Chapter 4 offers a short cross-comparison with R&D in the book publishing industry. Chapter 5 deals with policy issues triggered by the observed digital changes. Chapter 6 concludes with a brief assessment of EU strengths and weaknesses, and offers some recommendations.JRC.J.3-Information Societ

Characterization of the glass transition in vitreous silica by temperature scanning small-angle X-ray scattering

The temperature dependence of the x-ray scattering in the region below the first sharp diffraction peak was measured for silica glasses with low and high OH content (GE-124 and Corning 7980). Data were obtained upon scanning the temperature at 10, 40 and 80 K/min between 400 K and 1820 K. The measurements resolve, for the first time, the hysteresis between heating and cooling through the glass transition for silica glass, and the data have a better signal to noise ratio than previous light scattering and differential thermal analysis data. For the glass with the higher hydroxyl concentration the glass transition is broader and at a lower temperature. Fits of the data to the Adam-Gibbs-Fulcher equation provide updated kinetic parameters for this very strong glass. The temperature derivative of the observed X-ray scattering matches that of light scattering to within 14%.Comment: EurophysicsLetters, in pres

How to Catch a Unicorn: Case Studies

Technology companies with high market capitalisation (often called unicorns) have been receiving a lot of attention and media coverage recently. In general, unicorns are IT-based (software mostly, but also hardware). They are often rather young global companies that match unsatisfied demand with supply through the production (which can be scaled up) of innovative and usually affordable services and products. These are usually part of the mobile internet wave, and rely on connectivity (high speed networks, mobile and fixed), new devices (smartphones, tablets, phablets…) and the opportunities these bring. They are grounded in network effects, and demand-side economies of scale and scope. They depend on a strong favourable business environment, developing organically and building on fast expanding markets (emerging economies, middle classes). They are VC-dependent and the competition for funding can generate impressive (inflated?) valuations. These companies can be disruptive for other sectors and firms. This report aims to document the phenomenon by investigating a qualitative sample of 30 companies that have recently been valued above the one billion dollar threshold. It identifies some of their characteristics and the lessons to be learnt.JRC.J.3-Information Societ