World Dialogue on Regulation

This area of assessment for the current research cycle is concerned with indicators and traditional methods for collecting and applying them as the object of analysis. Given the current fashion to collect and maintain stocks of indicators, and to invest in this thematic area, a theoretical critique of indicators will be undertaken. This includes a critical assessment – both political and methodological – of current mainstream approaches to devising indicators as well as a scholarly review of the methodologies and practices for their collection.

Ownership and usability of indicators
Corresponding to privatisation of the telecom sector, there is also a privatisation of indicators. With increased public participation in alternative network provision, the principal-agent problem has been creeping out of the regulatory sphere and into a wider domain. For many countries of the world, the data gathering capacity of the private sector exceeds that of government, meaning that data that could inform public policy remains in private hands.

Some further emerging issues here which can be addressed also include access and availability (who has access to the databases that may be collected using public funds?); are sufficient indicator literacy initiatives being made for effective civil society and consumer use, especially in support of universal access goals?

Relationship between different uses of the same or similar data (e.g. mobile signal strength in an area matters to consumers choosing a network in that area, to mobile competitors in designing their networks, and to the regulator in confirming licence compliance, before the international policy community starts comparing countries). Who has a right to what information and in what form? And what is the proper role of regulators in relation to such information? (E.g., there are continuing debates around Ofcom about whether, for example, price comparisons are best left for the market to supply).

Key projects
With the overarching focus on indicators for this research cycle, all researchers in the network will be dialoguing and reflecting on this aspect.

Two network nodes are undertaking the task to develop specific outputs in this regard: the Center for ICT (CICT) in Denmark and Comunica in Uruguay. The study by Comunica is being prepared for the first issue of a new yearbook (tentatively) entitled, Information Society Watch, a joint project of the Association for Progressive Communication (APC) and the Third World Institute (ITeM).