The availability of undersea cables around Africa has been transformed by a recent surge of investment, ending the monopoly in West Africa and an absence in East Africa. Private investors alone and with governments have funded the laying of cables. Consequently, previous calls for regulated...

Climate change is recognized by both the African and European Unions as a significant challenge in terms of mitigation and adaptation, requiring technological advances and transfers. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are believed to contribute around 2.5% of global emissions of...

This paper reviews the overall aims of policy of European Union spectrum policy and management, within the framework of the completion of European single market. The development of markets for GSM services is analysed, including the absorption of PCS on the 1800 MHz band into GSM. The history of...

The third EU Roaming Regulation (531/2012) took effect on July 1, 2012, replacing Regulation 544/2009. Wholesale and retail price caps for voice, SMS and data have been extended and reduced, with new retail caps for data usage. Anti-bill shock remedies now apply outside the EU. Measures to...

On the margins of Europe lie a number of micro-states and micro-territories. Global best practice in telecommunications fits them poorly ‒ it does not scale down to the necessary level. The problems are aggravated by geographical remoteness and (except for Iceland) not being part of the EU’s...

The European Union adopted a Roaming Regulation (717/2007) in 2007, then extended its duration and widened its scope (544/2009) in 2009. In 2006, the European Commission held two consultations on a possible regulation. It made a formal legislative proposal in July 2006, to implement wholesale...

The European Court of Justice upheld the Roaming Regulation (717 2007), rejecting the challenge by the four largest mobile operators that the legal basis on Article 95 EC (now Article 115 TFEU) was invalid and that it violated the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity. The European...

Users are increasingly concerned by the apparently arbitrary and often exorbitant charges for roaming services on their mobile telephones. Charges seem to have no relationship to costs or to best practice. Service providers make little effort to inform customers of the charges they will incur....

In Europe there has been growing concern over green house gas emissions and energy efficiency. The costs and carbon footprint of telecommunications represent a new set of indicators. Counting cellphones proves more complex than expected, with many being unaccounted for as individuals, even in...

To help achieve its targets for reductions in green house gases, the European Commission has adopted regulations under the Ecodesign Directive (2005/32/EC). These require increased energy efficiency for external power supplies, standby and off-modes for electronic household and office equipment...