Plugging in the Consumer in the 6 GHz Discussion: A Snapshot of Findings
Amol Kulkarni, Vidushi Sinha and Krishaank Jugiani
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 CUTS carried out a comprehensive nationwide interaction-based study under the project 'Understanding Consumer Perspectives on the 6 GHz Band.' The primary goal was to gain insights into consumer perspectives, challenges, and concerns related to the present state of WiFi internet connectivity and their anticipations for upcoming WiFi technologies.
This Snapshot of Findings highlights consumer viewpoints on WiFi and its accessibility within the spectrum band, the 6 GHz band, which is not currently available for licence-exempt use in India.
The snapshot is available here. Read more about the project here. |
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Analysing the Effect of Regulation of Over-The-Top (OTT) Services on Consumer Interest and Comparing International Perspectives
Shiksha Srivastava
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 While the rise of OTT services has revolutionised various aspects of consumers' lives, a debate has also been ongoing on the regulation of OTTs and a mandatory revenue-sharing framework between OTTs and internet service providers. Herein, a crucial missing element is the voice of consumers and the implications over the consumer interest.
This Discussion Paper highlights several issues from a consumer perspective that may arise with the proposed regulatory framework and mandatory revenue sharing for OTT services. Further, it analyses regulatory frameworks and their implications when considered and/or implemented in other jurisdictions.
The Discussion Paper is available here. Read more about the project here. |
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Op-eds
Why it’s vital to consistently evaluate AI systems through a more humane approach to deal with bias
Anirudh Rastogi and Amol Kulkarni
The Economic Times, August 18, 2023
Digital rupee: India’s geopolitical game-changer in CBDC race
Gayatri Ganpule
Policy Circle, August 15, 2023
Can Generative AI grow better jobs?
Pradeep S Mehta and Navneet Sharma
Money Control, July 27, 2023
India need not rush toward ex-ante regulation of the digital economy
Pradeep S Mehta and Navneet Sharma
Money Control, July 04, 2023
Media Coverage
Telco proposal sparks concern over costs
The Star, September 28, 2023
Indian telcos’ proposal sparks concern over higher user costs.
The Straits Times, September 26, 2023
India-Australia Collaboration Important for Development of Critical Technologies and Shaping its Governance – Sarah Storey, Deputy High Commissioner, Australian High Commission to India
APN News, September 25, 2023
1-Day Workshop on Cyber Security for MSMEs and Women Entrepreneurs held in Tripura
Tripura Times, September 22, 2023
Communicating DPI policy to other countries and galvanising south-south institutions are critical for taking DPI to the global south to achieve SGDs says Amar Patnaik, MP
APN News, September 18, 2023
Consumer & Data Protection: A New Approach to Intersecting Risks
CGAP, September 12, 2023
Moves to regulate OTT services and a selective ban on regulators draw flak
Bizz Buzz, September 11, 2023
Why India can lead the world in embracing digital economy
ETV Bharat, September 09, 2023
OTT backers criticise proposed selective banning of apps in submissions to TRAI
Livemint, September 06, 2023
Net neutrality under threat? It's OTTs vs telcos again over the proposed internet usage fee
ThePrint, September 06, 2023
Consumer groups oppose TRAI’s proposal on selective banning of OTTs
Financial Express, September 04, 2023
Selective banning of OTTs to create regulatory uncertainty in India: Consumer groups
Moneylife, September 04, 2023
IAMAI and CUTS write to TRAI highlighting concerns on the OTT regulation consultation paper
The Economic Times, August 31, 2023
Winter session: IBC, Cos Act tweaks likely
Livemint, August 21, 2023
Big ticket blues: OTT may soon be within the masses’ reach, but silver-screen magic is now unaffordable
Financial Express, August 12, 2023
IAFI calls for priority to consumers’ internet needs in the 6 GHz discussions
Communications Today, August 03, 2023
Data protection bill: Govt mulls exempting startups from data sharing rules
Business Standard, July 19, 2023
Advocacy
CUTS Comments on TRAI Consultation Paper on Regulatory Mechanism for Over-The-Top (OTT) Communication Services, and Selective Banning of OTT Services
Amol Kulkarni and Shiksha Srivastava
CUTS CCIER, August 31, 2023
Collective Representation: TRAI Consultation on Regulatory Mechanism for Over-The-Top (OTT) Communication Services, and Selective Banning of OTT Services
Amol Kulkarni and Shiksha Srivastava
CUTS CCIER, August 31, 2023
CUTS Comments on TRAI Consultation Paper on Encouraging Innovative Technologies, Services, Use Cases, and Business Models through Regulatory Sandbox in Digital Communication Sector
Amol Kulkarni and Shiksha Srivastava
CUTS CCIER, July 21, 2023
CUTS Daily Bulletins on “AI for Good Global Summit 2023”
July 06-07, 2023, Geneva, Switzerland
This bulletin covers the main highlights from the AI for Good Global Summit 2023 organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in partnership with 40 UN sister agencies and co-convened with the Government of Switzerland, on July 06-07, 2023.
AI for Good is a year-round digital platform of the United Nations, where AI innovators and problem owners learn, discuss and connect to identify practical AI solutions to advance the UN SDGs.
Representations
- Mihir Shekhar Bhonsale participated in the Global Trade & Innovation Policy Alliance (GTIPA) Summit 2023 on Innovation and Competitiveness organised by GTIPA in Berlin, Germany on September 13-16, 2023.
- Krishaank Jugiani participated in ‘Conversation with Prof. Toby Walsh and Prof. Mausam on Artificial Intelligence (AI)’, organised by the Australian High Commission in New Delhi on August 07, 2023.
- Neelanjana Sharma was one of the speakers at the conference on ‘Competition Law Enforcement and Consumer Protection in Digital Markets,’ organised by the Competition Promotion and Consumer Protection Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Tashkent on July 06-08, 2023.
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National Workshop on Ethical Framework for 6G
New Delhi, September 22, 2023
 CUTS organised this workshop in partnership with the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT-B) and the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT-D) on September 22, 2023. In this workshop, key preliminary findings from the Ethical 6G project were presented and discussed, and ideas for the way forward were brainstormed. The workshop included three sessions on an overview of 6G; standard making for 6G; and policy & regulatory framework for 6G.
The recording and event report are available here. Read more about the project here.
Workshop on Cyber Security for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Women Entrepreneurs
Agartala, September 22, 2023
 CUTS organised this workshop, one of the first of its kind in Tripura, to guide the MSMEs and Women Entrepreneurs on various ways to mitigate cyber risks in e-businesses while highlighting the challenges as well as the opportunities in this space.
More about the event here. Read more about the project here.
Reimagining India’s Digital Public Infrastructure Globally for Attaining the Sustainable Development Goals
September 17, 2023
 CUTS organised this virtual Panel Discussion to commemorate the SDG Digital Day on September 17, 2023. The SDG Digital Day is an initiative by the ITU that seeks to prioritise data and digital technologies to stimulate increased efforts across all 17 goals.
The discussion focussed on the significance of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reshaping India's DPI globally. The pivotal role played by India's DPI initiatives, such as Aadhaar, UPI, and the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, in expediting progress towards SDGs was recognised. They emphasised the need to strengthen collaboration among countries in the global South, highlighting the essential roles of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and regional cooperation, as well as capacity-building programmes.
The event was graced by Amar Patnaik, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha; Lorrayne Porciuncula, Co-founder and Executive Director, Datasphere Initiative; Osama Manzar, Founder and Director, Digital Empowerment Foundation; Parminder Jeet Singh, Digital Society Researcher; and Hanani Hlomani, Research Fellow, ICT Africa (RIA). The session was moderated by Navneet Sharma, Director General, CUTS Institute for Regulation & Competition (CIRC).
More about the event here.
WTO Public Forum: Harnessing Digitalisation for Greener Supply Chains in LDCs
Geneva, September 15, 2023
 This session focussed on the potential of digitalisation as a tool for greening supply chains in least-developed countries (LDCs). Specifically, the session explored how digital technologies can be leveraged to drive environmental sustainability, enhance efficiency, and foster inclusive sustainable economic development in LDCs.
Participants from governments, IGOs, Businesses and NGOs gained insights and exchanged ideas for a pathway to harness digitalisation as a catalyst for achieving inclusive sustainability in LDCs.
More about the forum and event here.
Capacity Building Workshops of Women on Cyber Security in Select Districts of West Bengal
 CUTS organised a series of capacity-building training workshops on Cybersecurity for adult women and women-led MSMEs in six different districts of West Bengal. The overall objective of the intervention is to develop the capacities of various cyber threats and equip them with strategies on how to combat cyber threats. Each of these capacity-building workshops was organised at the district level where the level of awareness about cyber security is believed to be considerably low.
Currently, three capacity-building workshops have been completed in three different districts, namely – Purulia (Banghmundi), Jhargram (Binpur), and Howrah (Amta). Around 50-60 women of different age groups participated in this workshop.
Upcoming Events
Employing AI for Consumer Grievance Redressal Mechanisms in E-commerce
Geneva, December 06, 2023
CUTS, in collaboration with WeVaad and OpenNyAi, will be organising a virtual panel discussion on “Employing AI for Consumer Grievance Redressal Mechanisms in E-commerce” in Geneva on December 06, 2023, during the “UNCTAD eWeek 2023: Shaping the Future of the Digital Economy” scheduled to be held on December 04-08 2023.
To participate, please register at: https://unctad.org/eweek2023.
Building fair markets in the algorithmic age
Geneva, December 07, 2023
CUTS, in collaboration with The Dialogue, will be organising a hybrid panel discussion on “Building fair markets in the algorithmic age” in Geneva on December 07, 2023, during the “UNCTAD eWeek 2023: Shaping the Future of the Digital Economy” scheduled to be held on December 04-08, 2023.
To participate, please register at: https://unctad.org/eweek2023.
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