21 July 2016

The following is summary of the most recent IEEE Global Internet Governance Monitor report. To access the full reports containing additional details and other news items, please join the Internet Technology Policy Community on IEEE Collabratec.

The following is summary of the most recent IEEE Global Internet Governance Monitor report. To access and download the full report containing additional details and other news items, click here.

The EU is on a path towards collision with internet and telecoms giants including Google and NBC Universal with plans to introduce reforms this autumn. Changes to EU copyright law have angered broadcasting groups, with plans to extend copyright regulations to internet on-demand services proving particularly divisive. Meanwhile, Brussels has filed new anti-trust charges against Google, arguing that it has abused its market dominance to restrict advertising from its competitors. 

Tim Berners-Lee weighed into the debate about net neutrality at the EU level, urging officials to take a tough stance against the telecoms giants. Berners-Lee, famous for his universalist and egalitarian approach to web services, descried the industrys tactics as manipulative and urged the commission to protect access. 

The net neutrality debate in the US continued, as analysts have suggested that the US Appeals Court decision upholding net neutrality could result in damage to Verizon and AT&Ts pursuit of Yahoos web assets.  

Elsewhere in the US, the Federal Communications Commission has voted voted to open nearly 11 gigahertz of high-band spectrum to new wireless uses, hailing it as a "monumental step" that will greatly increase network capacity for 5G and the Internet of Things. This makes the US the first nation to liberalise spectrum as should yield rapid innovation in wireless communications. 

A Congressional report has this week argued that the hacking of several high-level officials at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was likely carried out by, or on behalf of, the Chinese Government. As Congress conducts initial investigations into data security in the banking sector, this report will serve as a reminder as to the threat posed by Chinese intelligence. 

In the UK, the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee has published a report which amounts to the most acute warning yet that a digital skills gap will threaten the UKs place as a world leader in digital industries. The upcoming Digital Strategy is seen to require radical action to remedy this gap. Changes in Government include a new Digital Economy Minister, the highly regarded Matthew Hancock, who has said he will prioritise growth in digital industries. 

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has piqued industry interest over two papers it has been compiling. The first is a call for evidence on public Wi-Fi networks in cities and rural areas, aiming to achieve universal access under the Digital India initiative. The second is potentially a piece of work on net neutrality, rumoured to be published this autumn, and is expected to outlaw discrimination in speed of service offered.