{"title":"Broadband Speeds in Fibered us Markets: An Empirical Analysis","authors":"Kotrous, Bailey","doi":"10.5325/jinfopoli.11.2021.0478","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5325/jinfopoli.11.2021.0478","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55617,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75728231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Would-Be Technocracy: Evaluating Efforts to Direct and Control Social Change with Internet Protocol Design","authors":"Farzaneh Badiei, Bradley Fidler","doi":"10.5325/jinfopoli.11.2021.0376","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5325/jinfopoli.11.2021.0376","url":null,"abstract":"This article discusses the shortcomings of value in design approach to protect human rights on the Internet. It argues that Internet protocols do not single handedly mitigate human rights on the Internet and in order to measure their impact, they need to be put in context. In other words, instead of design determinism, contextual analysis of Internet technologies that involve Internet protocols should","PeriodicalId":55617,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89710836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Revising the Record: Six Stylized Economic Facts About Pre-Covid US Residential Broadband Markets","authors":"K. Flamm, P. Varas","doi":"10.5325/jinfopoli.11.2021.0147","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5325/jinfopoli.11.2021.0147","url":null,"abstract":"This article reviews available public data on the pre-COVID (2014-2018) residential broadband markets in the United States, and presents six data-driven stylized economic facts about these markets. Broadband was a significant household expenditure. There were very limited numbers of competing residential broadband Internet service providers (ISPs) in most local markets. Service prices have not decreased much over time. Quality competition seems quite important. There was very limited entry by new ISPs. Technological innovation in wireless drove much observed new entry.","PeriodicalId":55617,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91274245","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Dahiya, L. N. Rokanas, S. Singh, M. Yang., J. Peha
{"title":"Lessons from Internet Use and Performance During Covid-19","authors":"S. Dahiya, L. N. Rokanas, S. Singh, M. Yang., J. Peha","doi":"10.5325/jinfopoli.11.2021.0202","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5325/jinfopoli.11.2021.0202","url":null,"abstract":"When COVID-19 hit, many people began working, going to school, and living much of their lives from home. The Internet was a gateway to the world. This article uses data from Internet speed tests, consumer complaints, search engine optimization tools, and logs of Internet use from public libraries to understand the effects of the pandemic on Internet use and performance. Despite reports that the Internet handled the surge in traffic well, we find that complaints about Internet speed nearly tripled, and performance was degraded. Downstream data rates changed little, but median upstream data rates at midday dropped by about a third. When discussing Internet performance, people typically focus on downstream. This focus should shift. Internet service providers and policymakers should reduce the asymmetry by changing how infrastructure is designed, how Internet services are advertised, how regulators write transparency rules, and how government defines \"broadband\" in subsidy programs intended to reduce the digital divide. We also find significant increases in the use of many important categories of online content, including those used for work communications, education, grocery shopping, social media, news, and job searches. This shows the importance of the Internet during the crisis. Many people without Internet at home turned to public Wi-Fi hotspots during the pandemic. We find that this occurred disproportionately in neighborhoods with more students. Future distance learning initiatives should consider the challenges some students face in obtaining Internet access.","PeriodicalId":55617,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81405444","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Angela K. Hollman,Timothy R. Obermier,Paul R. Burger
{"title":"Rural Measures: A Quantitative Study of The Rural Digital Divide","authors":"Angela K. Hollman,Timothy R. Obermier,Paul R. Burger","doi":"10.5325/jinfopoli.11.2021.0176","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5325/jinfopoli.11.2021.0176","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT A need exists for the accurate measurement of the rural digital divide to most effectively direct public policy assistance. This study examined: Can the rural-urban digital divide be accurately measured? Two pilot studies were performed to develop, test, and evaluate an inexpensive technology alongside of social science metrics. This methodology measures from the consumer's perspective, matching broadband quality and availability measures with quality of life metrics. The successes and iterative improvement of the scientific approach is detailed. Recommendations for future projects that measure the rural-urban digital divide are provided for consideration to policymakers and researchers.","PeriodicalId":55617,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138537078","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Trust Zones: A Path to a More Secure Internet Infrastructure","authors":"David Clark,kc claffy","doi":"10.5325/jinfopoli.11.2021.0026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5325/jinfopoli.11.2021.0026","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This article describes a data-driven approach to improve the security of the Internet infrastructure. We identify the key vulnerabilities, and describe why the barriers to progress are not just technical, but embedded in a complex space of misaligned incentive, negative externalities, lack of agreement as to priority and approach, and missing leadership. We describe current trends in how applications are designed on the Internet, which leads to increasing localization of the Internet experience. Exploiting this trend, we focus on regional security rather than unachievable global security, and introduce a concept we call zones of trust.","PeriodicalId":55617,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138537083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Angela K. Hollman, Timothy R. Obermier, P. Burger, A. Spanier
{"title":"Rural Measures: A Quantitative Study of The Rural Digital Divide","authors":"Angela K. Hollman, Timothy R. Obermier, P. Burger, A. Spanier","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3757477","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3757477","url":null,"abstract":"Rural areas continue to face digital inequality compared to urban areas. Urban areas have access to a myriad of next generation advanced information communications technology (ICT) whereas rural areas experience disparity of service type, price and reliability. Initially the urban-rural digital divide was one of quantity of subscribers or demand driven digital inclusion , it has now matured to become an issue of quality and capacity of connectivity. However, Silva, Badasyan & Busby found that the more rural a census tract is, the lower the broadband adoption rate. They found, in further testament to the need for increased capacity, that “broadband availability has the strongest impact on the adoption rate in non-metropolitan areas. If the availability were to increase to a 100%....it would increase the adoption rate by 6.12%”. \u0000 \u0000Public policy and regulation has a direct impact upon availability or lack thereof for ICT services in rural areas. Hollifield, Donnermeyer, Wolford & Agunga found that when public policy, in the form of universal service funding in rural high cost areas, failed to support the early implementation of ICT services, communities began investing in self-development projects with limited success. This effort however, doesn’t address the circumstances of the rural household miles from an organized rural community. \u0000 \u0000With the regulatory focus on increasing competition among ICT service providers since the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, consumers in urban areas have benefited. In contrast, underserved or unserved rural consumers of ICT often pay a rural penalty in the form of a combination of one or more complicating factors, including; higher prices and lower bandwidth , and less reliability or no service at all. Whitacre & Mills reports several early studies pointed to the need for demand-oriented programs such as computer training, and demonstrations on internet usage, as more important than the development of access infrastructure to promote ICT usage in rural areas. However, as general societal demand for internet access grows from the diffusion of knowledge, infrastructure becomes the limiting factor in the development of rural areas. \u0000 \u0000Lower population density areas are minimally (or un)profitable markets for ICT service providers and some areas may never experience for-profit investment in broadband provisioning due to the lack of a potential subscriber base. During the years of the traditional land-line telephone, high cost rural areas were supported by the federal universal service fund through subsidies paid by all users, rural and urban. This fund, reformulated as the Connect America Fund, was intended to take over this role in the new ICT economy, but has fell short of fulfilling its intended purpose. Additionally concerns exist with the measurement and reporting of the diffusion of broadband infrastructure. All facilities based service providers providing internet connection speeds exceeding 200 k","PeriodicalId":55617,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85331317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Early GDPR Penalties: Analysis of Implementation and Fines Through May 2020","authors":"Josephine Wolff, Nicole Atallah","doi":"10.2139/ssrn.3748837","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3748837","url":null,"abstract":"The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which went into effect in May 2018 enabled European Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) to fine companies up to 4 percent of their annual revenue in the event that they were found in violation of the regulations requirements for data collection, processing, and use. But the regulation gave DPAs considerable leeway to determine how they would implement these penalties. This paper analyzes 261 publicly available GDPR enforcement orders issued by DPAs during the first 24 months of the GDPR implementation. The findings show that most GDPR fines levied so far have been relatively small, many of them within the thresholds set by earlier laws prior to the GDPR. Additionally, only half of the GDPR Articles for which penalties are designated have actually resulted in public enforcement actions, and those fines that have been levied focus primarily on violations of five particular Articles, four of which pertain primarily to user privacy protections. However, despite the fact that most of the fines issued under the GDPR have been in response to privacy violations, the largest fines have been triggered by security incidents, and, on average, security violations still receive larger fines than privacy violations.","PeriodicalId":55617,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81267047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Stimulating Innovation: Statutory Influence on Electric Cooperative Telecommunications Innovation","authors":"Greig","doi":"10.5325/jinfopoli.10.2020.0210","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5325/jinfopoli.10.2020.0210","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Despite investment in electric cooperatives to stimulate innovation in the broadband telecommunications market, an overwhelming majority (around 835 out of approximately 900) have refrained from engaging in broadband infrastructure projects. This study identifies “statutory environment” as a barrier to electric co-op innovations in the broadband market, analyzes state-by-state legislation, and makes recommendations for stimulating innovation by statutory updates.","PeriodicalId":55617,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81382339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Functions of Data in the Competition between Audiovisual Media and Video Sharing Platforms for Advertising","authors":"Sally Broughton Micova,Sabine Jacques","doi":"10.5325/jinfopoli.10.1.0514","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5325/jinfopoli.10.1.0514","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The European Union's (EU) 2018 Audiovisual Media Services Directive attempted to level the playing field upon which video sharing platforms and audiovisual media services compete by evening out advertising and consumer protection rules. Recent competition policy literature identifies data as a source of dominance in platform markets, suggesting its relevance to such situations where platforms compete with other services. Drawing on a study of this playing field involving stakeholder interviews and a comparison of regulatory frameworks, we present a nuanced understanding of imbalances across three distinct functions of data. We consider the policy implications, arguing for more equitable access to insight from aggregate, anonymized data and financial data.","PeriodicalId":55617,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Information Policy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138506525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}